The Apple Doesn't Fall Far
by cindy123
Summary: Sequel to The Lost Son. A new evil threatens the youngest Winchester. An evil worse than Michael Wilcox. Can his family protect him? limp/Sam;protective/Dean,John,Daniel;helpful/Bobby,Caleb,Joshua Scenes of extreme violence against a minor/bad language
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is the sequel to The Lost Son. I hope you all enjoy it. It does have some very intense chapters so be warned.**

**Characters:**

**Sam Winchester (17 years old)**

**Dean Winchester (21 years old)**

**Daniel Winchester (22 years old)**

**John Winchester**

**Bobby Singer**

**Caleb**

**Several OC's, some you've met and some you haven't**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters that the master Kripke created. If I did, I wouldn't have time to write stories.**

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**THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR**  
Sequel to The Lost Son

_Santa Cruz-Late Spring 2000_

Two figures sat hunched together on the sagging porch of the small, rundown house, their foreheads touching, the girl sobbing miserably. The boy shushed and coo'd but the girl continued to cry, her striking sapphire eyes red and puffy, her cheeks flushed. The boy pulled away and gently cupped the girl's face in his large hands. He softly pushed her dark hair away from her face then sweetly kissed her runny nose. He pulled her into his arms, his gentle voice trying to comfort her.

"Please Alisa, don't cry," Sam begged, his arms draped across the sobbing girl's back.

"I...I...d-don't want...you t-to g-go..." Alisa choked out around her sobs.

"I know. I don't want to go either, but it really isn't up to me," Sam said sadly, his arms tightening around the girl.

Alisa took several deep breaths, then pulled away, raising her puffy eyes to meet Sam's.

"Sam...I l-love you," she whispered.

Sam's eyes widened as he stared in shock at the girl.

"What? Y-you do?" he stammered.

"Yes Sam. I love you and I don't want you to go."

"Oh God. I love you too Alisa. I love you so much. I...I wish I didn't have to go, but I do."

Alisa nodded sadly, resigned to their fate. "Sam? I...uh..." she started, her cheeks flushing a soft pink.

"What Alisa? What is it?" Sam queried as he ran his fingers through the girl's dark curls.

"It's just...I thought you'd be...um...I wanted you to be..." Alisa stammered, the pink in her cheeks darkening.

"I'd be what?" Sam asked, his eyes questioning as he gazed at the trembling girl.

"I want you to be my first Sam...okay, that's it, but now you're going away and...oh crap...I don't know what I'm saying!" Alisa cried.

"Alisa...I..."

"I'm a virgin Sam and I wanted you to be my first. I love you. I mean...you've probably been with lots of girls, but I don't care, I just..."

"No Alisa. No other girls," Sam said quietly.

"Really? You're a...a virgin too?" Alisa inquired.

"Uh...yeah. You're the only girl I've ever even kissed Alisa."

Alisa gazed at Sam, her eyes resting lovingly on his handsome face. "Sam, please...before you have to leave...I want to...you know."

"Are you sure? I mean, we may never see each other again. I don't want to take advantage..."

"Sam, I want this. I want my first time to be with you. I'll never love anyone like I love you."

Sam smiled as his heart raced in his chest. His hands shook and he had to take several deep breaths to calm his breathing before he spoke again. "Wh-when do you...uh...when do you want to...to do this?" he asked nervously.

"Tomorrow night my parents will be gone. They won't be back until the next day and my brother is going to a party. We'll have the house to ourselves," Alisa answered with a coy smile.

"So...tomorrow night? Are you sure?"

Alisa smiled softly then reached up and pulled Sam into a deep kiss. She pulled away and put her lips to Sam's ear.

"I want this more than anything," she whispered, her warm breath tickling Sam's neck.

Sam moaned softly and pulled Alisa in for another kiss. After what seemed an eternity, the two lovesick teenagers pulled away from each other and stared intensely into each other's eyes. Sam leaned against the porch pillar and pulled Alisa to his side, his arm wrapped lovingly around her shoulders.

"I better walk you home. It's getting late," Sam said, not wanting this evening to end, but his mind already skipping ahead to the next night.

The teenagers rose from the step and walked to the street. They walked leisurely toward Alisa's house eight blocks away, their fingers entwined, arms swinging as one between them. Once they reached Alisa's house, Sam walked her to her door and lightly brushed his lips over hers. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Tomorrow night?" she whispered.

"Tomorrow night," Sam replied, slowly pulling Alisa's face up to his, then kissing her softly.

Alisa pulled away and smiled. She reached her hand out to the doorknob and turned it then pushed open the front door.

"I love you Sam," she said softly, then disappeared into her house before Sam could answer.

Sam stood on the porch, not moving for a few moments. He smiled brightly then turned and headed back down the walk toward his house, hands in his pockets and eyes looking skyward admiring the twinkling stars that dotted the night sky. So engrossed in his thoughts, Sam didn't notice the figure that followed him, draped in shadows, nor did he feel the intense glare of the eyes that watched his every move.

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**So, there was the first chapter. I know it was short. More to come tomorrow.**

**Cindy.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, first chapter down, 45 to go! Yes, there are 46 chapters to this story. Not sure if it is actually longer than The Lost Son as the chapters may be shorter, but it has a lot of action and hurt and...well, I'll just let you read it. This chapter has...uh...it has first time sex, but not graphic in any way. Hope you like.**

**Cindy.**

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Sam looked nervously over his shoulder as he rifled through the drawer in the nightstand that stood next to Dean's bed. His fingers ended their search when they closed over the small, flat packet that had been the subject of said search. Sam pulled the foil wrapper from the drawer, reading the small printed words that covered both sides.

"Ribbed? Whatever that means," Sam whispered to himself, stuffing the packet into his back pocket.

Sam closed the drawer of the nightstand and moved to stand in front of the mirror over his dresser. He looked over his image, critiquing every angle of his form. Normally he wasn't interested in his clothes or his hair, but ever since he started dating Alisa, he found himself more aware of his appearance. He had finally gained most of the weight back that he had lost after his nightmare from the summer before and had actually managed to build up his muscle mass during his Junior year. Tonight was a special night and he wanted to look perfect for Alisa. Sam's stomach fluttered as he thought about what the night held for him and his girl. After tonight, Dean would no longer be able to tease him about his lack of experience in what he felt was a very important aspect that made the Winchester men, well, men.

Sam thought about what would happen when his brothers found out that he had finally lost his virginity. Dean would smack him on the back and give him an atta boy, while Daniel would turn all serious and want to have a long discussion about love, respect, and protection. Well, Sam had all three of those taken care of, so he was feeling pretty confident. That didn't however stop the fear that pulsed through him. What if he did something wrong? What if he sucked? What if Alisa laughed at him?

Sam shook himself, telling himself he was being stupid. He loved Alisa and she loved him. What they had was special and when they made love for the first time it would be perfect. He grabbed his jacket and pulled it on before slipping out of the room. When he entered the livingroom, Dean and Daniel were perched on the couch watching some program with monster trucks. They both had beers in hand and gave loud whoops when Maximum Destruction caught huge air. Sam rolled his eyes and stepped up to the couch, waiting for his brothers to realize he was there. When neither one paid him any attention, Sam cleared his throat loudly. Daniel turned his attention to Sam and smiled.

"Um…I'm going to Alisa's now," Sam said sheepishly, his cheeks blushing a soft pink.

"Okay Sammy. Have fun," Daniel said in reply.

"I will. Thanks Dan," Sam said softly.

"Hey. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Dean quipped as he pumped his eyebrows, his attention now on Sam.

"Uh…heh…yeah, I won't. See ya," Sam sputtered, his face reddening further.

Sam walked to the door and pushing the screen door open, he stepped out into the warm Spring night. Dean and Daniel stared after him before turning their attention back to their program. Grave Digger was now on the course and Dean and Daniel forgot about their younger brother. Sam hurried down the steps and began walking quickly down the sidewalk, eager to get to Alisa's house.

Once Sam reached Alisa's, he knocked on the door and within seconds the door opened and Sam was greeted with Alisa's smiling face. She stood to the side and held the door so Sam could come in. Once inside, Alisa grabbed Sam and kissed him lightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up into his hazel eyes.

"So…you wanna go to my room or do you want to watch TV first…or something?" Alisa asked nervously.

"Uh…I think maybe…uh…your room?" Sam replied, an embarrassed smile crossing his face.

"Okay…it's this way," Alisa said, taking Sam's hand and leading him down the hall until they reached the last door.

Alisa pushed the door open and tugged Sam into the bright colored room. Sam gazed about the room, smiling at the collection of teddy bears that graced one wall. In all the times Sam had been to Alisa's house, he had never been in her room, but it was exactly how he imagined it would be. Alisa pulled Sam to her bed and gently pushed him down until he was seated on the edge. She stood before him and started to take his jacket off of him.

Sam smiled nervously as he helped Alisa remove his jacket. Alisa sat on the bed beside him and gently cupped his face in her hands. She bent his head down slightly and kissed his forehead, then his nose and then his lips. Alisa's fingers moved to Sam's chest as she began to unbutton his shirt. She pushed his shirt down his arms then discarded it onto the floor. She leaned back and allowed Sam to lift her blouse over her head, then she reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, then tossed it onto the steadily growing pile of clothes.

Alisa smiled as Sam stared at her. They had never come this far before. There had been soft touches under shirts but never had they seen each other to this degree of nakedness. Alisa stood and slid her skirt and panties down her legs, stepping out of them slowly. Sam's eyes widened as he watched her and complied dutifully when she pulled him up from the bed and began to unbutton and unzip his jeans. Sam pushed his jeans and boxers down and stepped out of them.

Sam pulled Alisa to him and leant down, his lips capturing hers in a deep kiss. They fell back onto the bed, their hands exploring each others bodies, their touches tentative at first but becoming more heated as their excitement grew. Sam stopped suddenly and he pulled away from Alisa slightly.

"Are you okay baby?" Alisa whispered softly, her eyes filled with concern.

Sam shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts as they unavoidably drifted to Michael Wilcox.

"I'm okay. S-sorry," Sam said a bit shakily.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't ready Sam," Alisa said, her hand gently caressing Sam's face.

"No…I'm fine. Just give me a minute," Sam replied.

Sam closed his eyes and after a few moments was able to push the images of Wilcox out of his mind. He opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly at Alisa. She smiled warmly in return and reached up to softly kiss Sam's cheek.

"Do you have…protection?" she whispered in his ear.

"Uh…yeah. P-pocket of my jeans," he stammered.

Alisa rose from the bed then crouched down. She pulled Sam's jeans up from the floor and rifled through his pockets until she found the foil packet in his back pocket. She sat back on the bed and handed the packet to Sam.

"So…do you know what to do with it?" she asked.

"N-not really. I guess we'll figure it out," Sam replied, tearing the packet and putting it on the nightstand.

Alisa pulled the covers back on her bed then offered her hand to Sam, pulling him up then pushing him gently back down onto the exposed sheets. She crawled across him and settled herself at his side. Sam pulled the covers up over them and they were soon wrapped around each other, their kisses gentle at first, but growing deeper.

"Oh God Alisa…I'm so ready. Are you…?" Sam stammered before Alisa covered his mouth with hers once more.

Alisa bit Sam's lower lip gently as her hand moved to the nightstand to retrieve the condom. She pulled the condom from the wrapper and soon both teenagers were giggling uncontrollably as they attempted to put it on.

"Oh Sam…we are so lame!" Alisa quipped, chuckling at their inexperience.

Finally, after several attempts and many laughter induced tears, the condom was in place. The two teenagers continued to kiss and caress each others bodies and before long they were lost in the throes of ecstasy as the two became one.

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Sam awoke slowly, smiling as he glanced at Alisa as she slept nestled up to his side. He reached over and softly brushed aside some strands of hair that had fallen over the girl's face. Alisa stirred, her eyes opening and immediately staring up at Sam. She smiled warmly then reached up and gently cupped Sam's cheek with her warm hand. She lifted her head and softly brushed her lips over Sam's. She pulled away and gazed at Sam's smiling face.

"Hey…" she whispered.

"Hey…" Sam answered, reaching his hand out to caress Alisa's shoulder.

"Are you hungry baby?" Alisa queried.

"No, I'm fine. Are you though?" Sam replied.

"No, not really,' Alisa said as she lay back down, cuddling under Sam's arm.

"So, are you okay and everything?" Sam queried as he turned onto his side, facing the sleepy girl.

"I'm…wonderful. Are you okay? I mean…well…you know," Alisa replied, concern in her sapphire eyes.

"I'm fine Alisa. I didn't know if I would be, but…I am. That was the most amazing thing. We definitely need to do that again. We need to do that a lot before I leave," Sam said, smiling warmly.

"I don't want to think about you leaving. I…I can't imagine my life without you," Alisa whispered, tears beginning to fall from her suddenly sad eyes.

"Hey…hey. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. Please don't cry Alisa…" Sam pled, reaching over and gently wiping Alisa's tears away with his fingers.

"I c-can't help it Sam. I love you so much and you're leaving soon!"

Sam pulled Alisa tightly into his arms. He brushed his fingers through her hair soothingly as he whispered comfortingly into her ear.

"It's going to be okay Alisa. We'll call each other all the time and who knows, maybe my family will be back through here again. We'll see each other."

"Oh Sam…what if we never see each other again?"

"We will Alisa. I've already decided that when I graduate, I'm going to college. There's plenty of colleges near here. Hey, maybe I'll even make it into Stanford! It'll be hard until then, but we'll be together all of the time then," Sam said, kissing Alisa's forehead softly.

"Really?" Alisa whispered.

"Yeah. Everything will be fine Alisa. You'll see."

"Okay Sam. I love you so much."

"I love you too Alisa."

The two teenagers began to kiss again, their hands once again exploring each other. Alisa sat up from the bed and moved herself over Sam, her legs straddling Sam's hips. She leant over, kissing Sam's mouth greedily. She moved to Sam's throat, her warm lips sending excited shivers through Sam's body. Sam moaned softly, but then gently pushed Alisa up. She stared at him quizzically.

"What's wrong Sam? Did I do something wrong?" she asked nervously.

"Oh God no. It's just…well…I don't have another condom. And, I really should get home. Dean and Daniel are gonna go ballistic as it is. I'm way past my curfew," Sam explained as he sat up and wrapped his arms around his girl.

"Oh…are you going to be in trouble?" Alisa asked worriedly.

"No…it'll be okay. My family is just a bit protective of me is all. Now if my dad were home, it'd be a whole different story," Sam said in reply.

Alisa reluctantly climbed off Sam, pulling the covers around herself. Sam pulled himself up from the bed and began to dress. When he was fully clothed, he leaned over the bed and kissed Alisa softly. He bowed his head, resting his face in the slope of Alisa's neck and kissed her lovingly. He pulled away, feeling weak in the knees as she stared at him with love in her eyes.

"I'll call you later. Get some sleep baby," Sam said softly.

"Bye Sam. I love you," Alisa whispered.

Sam smiled before turning and walking to the door. "I love you too baby," he said as he walked through the door.

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The man stood across the street, hidden in the trees as he watched the house intently. The boy had been there several hours and the man knew what he and the girl who lived there were probably up to. He smiled to himself sadistically. He imagined the boy, his hands wrapped around his throat, the boy's eyes wide with fear and pain. The boy would pay for what he had done, for what he had stolen.

The man stood straighter as the door opened and the boy stepped out into the night. He kept as still as possible until the boy was a block down the street, then carefully exited his hiding place, following the boy as he hurried down the street toward his home. The boy reached his house and leapt up the stairs, then disappeared into the house. The man stood on the sidewalk watching the house for sometime before whispering to the night.

"Soon Sam. Soon you will pay for what you have done. Soon you will pay for your sins."

The man laughed cruelly then walked away into the darkness.

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**Well, that's it for now. I hope you all enjoyed Sam's first time. More to come tonight. Remember, reviews are love.**

**Cindy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so here is chapter 3 for you. I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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Sam hurried up the stairs to his house, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He had gotten the feeling as soon as he left Alisa's house that he was being watched. He kept telling himself that he was being paranoid, but by the time he reached the house he shared with his father and brothers he could barely keep himself from taking the steps at a full sprint. As soon as the door slammed behind him, Sam crept to the window and peered through the blinds. He watched for several minutes but saw nothing even though the feeling of being watched had not subsided. Just as he was about to leave the window, Sam was startled when a large man who seemed to be about twenty five stepped from the shadows across the street, his eyes it seemed staring straight at Sam. Sam gasped and jumped back from the window. When he had worked up the nerve to look again, the man was gone.

Sam was startled again when a voice called out from behind him. Sam spun around, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He placed his hand on his chest when he saw Dean standing in the kitchen doorway staring at him.

"H-huh?" Sam muttered nervously.

"I said where the hell have you been!" Dean shot angrily.

"I…I fell asleep…s-sorry," Sam stammered.

"Sam, what's wrong? What were you looking at out there?" Dean queried, all anger leaving him and being replaced with concern when he saw Sam's pale face and trembling hands.

"N-nothing. I thought…I…" Sam started, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey…slow down Sammy. Take a breath for God's sake," Dean instructed as he stepped up to Sam and grasped his arm.

Dean guided Sam to the couch and gently pushed him down onto the faded cushions. He stared down at his brother, not quite sure of what was going on.

"Sam…what's got you so spooked?" Dean queried.

Sam glanced up nervously, embarrassed by his behavior. "It's nothing Dean, I just let my imagination get away from me is all."

"Are you gonna explain?"

"I thought someone was watching me when I left Alisa's. When I got home I looked out the window and there was a man out there, across the street," Sam explained, his face flushed.

Dean rushed to the window and looked out. He then pulled the door open and stepped out onto the porch, looking up and down the street. He returned to the house, closing and locking the door behind him. He stepped back up to the couch and sat down next to Sam. Sam smiled sheepishly, his fingers fiddling nervously with the hem of his shirt.

"There's no one out there now Sam. What did this guy look like?" Dean queried.

"Uh…he was tall…big…muscular, not fat…dark hair," Sam replied.

"Well, I'm sure he was just out for a late night, or rather early morning walk. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," Dean said, as much to calm himself as to calm Sam.

Sam nodded slightly, but his eyes gave away the fact that he was more than a little freaked out.

Dean was nervous. They had not forgotten Michael Wilcox and what he had done to Sam. It was difficult for the older Winchester men to allow Sam to go out on his own even now after a year had passed. Sam seemed to be better about everything than any of them were. Dean was startled out of his thoughts when a frantic knock sounded at the front door. Sam stood to get the door but Dean pulled him down and went to the door himself. He peeked through the curtain, sighing softly and unlocking the door. The door opened and Daniel rushed into the room, his face flushed.

"What the hell Dean?" Daniel spat incredulously.

"Sorry…I…" Dean started before he was cut off.

"Have you heard from Sam?"

"Uh…sorta," Dean quipped.

"What's that sup…" Daniel started, stopping abruptly when he spied Sam standing in front of the couch.

Daniel rushed to his baby brother and grasped his arms, looking him over carefully.

"Dan, I'm okay. I fell asleep at Alisa's. I'm sorry I made you guys worry," Sam said softly.

"It's okay Sam. I guess we may have overreacted a bit," Daniel said with a sheepish grin, patting Sam's arm lightly.

Sam smiled, his eyes falling to the floor. He looked up again to see both brothers staring at him. He moved toward the hall that led to he and Dean's bedroom, yawning sleepily.

"Uh…I'm tired…I'm gonna go to bed," Sam said, only to be halted by Dean's voice.

"Hey wait up Sammy. Why'd you fall asleep at Alisa's? What were you guys doing?" Dean asked, pumping his eyebrows teasingly.

"What? N-nothing. Just hanging out," Sam answered haltingly.

"Uh-huh. Spill Sammy boy. Your face is redder than Rudolph's nose," Dean quipped.

"Dean…stop it," Daniel admonished, then turned his attention to Sam. "Sam…is there something we need to talk about?"

"I…no…uh…I just want to go to bed," Sam stammered.

"Okay…sit…now," Daniel instructed, pointing to the couch and staring at Sam intently.

Sam shuffled to the couch, ignoring Dean's smirk as he passed by him. He sank onto the cushions, his eyes planted on the floor at his feet. Daniel sat next to him, observing his baby brother's profile. Dean sat on the armrest opposite Daniel trying to be serious but unable to wipe the grin from his face.

"Sam…" Daniel started. "Uh…did you and Alisa…um…you know?"

Sam glanced quickly at Daniel before once again dropping his gaze to the floor. Dean leaned forward, staring quizzically at his little brother.

"Sammy?" he pushed.

Sam heaved a heavy sigh before nodding lightly. He clasped his hands together, his knee bouncing anxiously. He jumped slightly, startled when Dean jumped down next to him and smacked him exuberantly on the back.

"That's my boy Sammy! You the man!" Dean exclaimed excitedly.

Sam smiled coyly, unable to meet Dean's eyes. Daniel leaned forward after giving Dean a hard glare and craned his neck in an attempt to see Sam's face. Sam glanced at him, embarrassment reddening his face further.

"Sam, are you okay? I mean…this is big. This is really big," Daniel said softly.

"I'm okay Dan," Sam whispered.

"Did you use protection?" Daniel queried.

"We were safe. I uh…I kinda owe Dean a…um…" Sam stammered.

"Hey…consider it a freebie kiddo," Dean quipped happily.

"Dean…could you be any more of an ass right now?" Daniel shot with exasperation.

"Hey…I'm not an ass, I'm just freakin' excited. Our little Sammy did the dirty deed! He's all grown up!" Dean shot back,grinning gleefully.

Sam cringed with embarrassment. His brothers were arguing over his barely existing sex life and he was stuck in the middle. He shrank back against the couch back attempting to make himself as small as possible, his eyes planted firmly on his lap. His knee continued to dance nervously and he resisted the urge to poke sharp objects into his ears so he wouldn't have to hear the conversation going on around him.

"Dean, he's barely seventeen for God's sake!" Sam heard his oldest brother say.

"Danny, you were fifteen! So was I, so what's the big deal?" Dean replied heatedly.

"The big deal is it's Sammy we're talking about. He's not a slut like you! And as for me, I wish I would've waited,' Dan answered, his voice rising.

"Uh…you guys. I'm right here you know. Can we change the subject or something?" Sam said sheepishly as he continued to pray for sharp objects to magically appear in his hands.

"Oh Sammy, I'm just…well…I'm so happy for you!" Dean exclaimed.

Daniel rolled his eyes and reached across Sam as he punched Dean's shoulder.

"For shit's sake Dean…he's embarrassed okay? Let's talk about something else," Daniel said.

"Okay fine. So Sam, how long do you think that guy's been following you?" Dean asked with all seriousness.

Sam went slightly pale and Daniel's eyes shot to Dean. "What guy? A guy is following Sam?"

"He said he sensed someone watching him after he left Alisa's. When he got in the house he saw some guy standing across the street," Dean replied.

"And I'm just hearing this now? What the hell Dean!" Daniel exclaimed, anger and fear mixed in his tone.

"Well, we kinda got sidetracked a bit. Anyway…" Dean started.

"Did you check it out? Is the creep still out there? Did you call Dad?" Daniel cried breathlessly as he hurried to the window, his eyes searching the street beyond.

"Uh…if you'd let me finish I would tell you that I went out and didn't see anyone. Whoever it was was already gone," Dean answered curtly.

"Okay…it's probably nothing but we still need to keep our eyes open. Sam doesn't go anywhere alone until we know for sure. I better call Dad and see when he'll be home. Maybe we should go cruise around. Sam can see if the guy's still hanging around. We can take my car…" Daniel ranted.

"Dan…stop. Please," Sam interrupted. "I'm sure everything's okay. I just got a little spooked is all. Just calm down okay?"

"Sam, I'm sorry. It's just…well…we nearly lost you before. I guess I still get a bit jumpy. Are you okay?" Daniel asked, concern etched across his face.

"I'm fine Dan. Really," Sam replied as he stood and headed for the kitchen.

"Dad's home," Dean announced from the window where he had moved to after rising from the couch.

Sam stopped and turned, his eyes wide. "Don't tell Dad!" he cried.

"Sammy, he'll be pissed if he finds out someone may be following you and we didn't tell him," Dean said.

"No…not about that. Don't tell him about me and Alisa. Please?" Sam pled.

"Sam, he'll be okay with it. He was okay with me and Daniel," Dean replied.

"No. Like Daniel said, it's me this time. You know Dad treats me differently," Sam said.

"Well…okay, but if he finds out and gets pissed, I'm telling him you threatened me with bodily harm if I told," Dean quipped.

"He won't find out if you don't tell him Dean," Daniel said evenly.

"Fine! But if you do decide to tell him, wait until I'm around. I want to see it!"

"Deeeeaaaan!!" Sam cried indignantly.

The door opened then and John walked into the room. He eyed his boys and instantly knew something was up. He turned immediate attention to his oldest, his dark eyes flashing dangerously.

"Okay…what the hell's happening here?"

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**Okay, so we've established that both Dean and Daniel were fifteen when they first did the dirty deed and that Danny considers Dean a slut. We've also established that the older Winchesters are still a bit nervous about letting Sam out of their sights. So, now all we need to find out is...who's following Sam? And, what will the boys tell John? Will they tell him about Sammy's escapades with his girl or about him being followed, or both? Next chapter up tomorrow. Hope to see you then.**

**Cindy.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait folks. I got hung up in town. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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Sam swallowed convulsively as he stared at his father, his hazel eyes wide. He looked like a deer caught in headlights and appeared to be ready to bolt. Daniel stepped forward, shooting a reassuring smile Sam's way.

"Uh…there may be someone following Sam and we were…um…discussing our options," Daniel said as he moved closer to his father.

John jerked his attention to Sam, crossing the room in a few long strides. "Who's following you Sam? What do they want?"

"Um…I don't know Dad. I'm not really sure if he is following me," Sam mumbled, shrinking under John's intense gaze.

"Okay… I need to know what makes you think you may have someone following you," John said, softening his tone as he realized Sam's discomfort.

"I…uh…I left Alisa's house to walk home tonight and I just felt like someone was watching me. When I got home I looked out the window and there was a man standing across the street, watching the house."

"When was this?" John queried.

"It was…uh…about…" Sam stammered as he shuffled nervously from foot to foot.

"Sam…how long ago did this happen?" John questioned impatiently.

"An hour or so ago," Sam replied, his eyes dropping to his feet.

John turned to his older sons, his mouth moving to speak. Dean answered before any question could be asked.

"I already went out and looked Dad. He was already gone by the time Sam told me," he said.

"And where were you Daniel?" John queried.

"I…uh…I was just out driving around," Daniel answered.

"Okay…everyone sit. Now!" John commanded.

The three brothers sank onto the couch, Sam flanked on either side by his older brothers. His eyes stayed on the floor, too afraid to meet John's eyes.

"Alright. First off…why were you just coming home at…" John started, glancing at his watch before continuing. "At 1:00 AM?"

"I sort of fell asleep at Alisa's. I came home as soon as I woke up. S-sorry Dad," Sam mumbled.

"Daniel, you better tell me you were driving around looking for your brother," John said sternly.

"Yes sir. I was looking for Sam," Daniel answered, glancing at Sam from the corner of his eye.

"And what were you doing Dean?" John queried of his middle son.

"I stayed here to wait for Sam. Figured I should be here when he came home. Uh…sir. Sorry sir," Dean answered.

"Do you see how you made your brothers worry because of your irresponsibility, Sam? Do you understand why we worry? You need to learn to be more considerate of others," John said a bit more harshly then he intended.

Sam stood slowly, his shoulders slumped. He looked up for the first time, his eyes apologetic. "Yes sir, I understand. I'm sorry sir. I never meant to make anyone worry. I was thoughtless and irresponsible and I have no excuse for my actions."

"Sam…" John started, his tone softer.

"No sir. You're right," Sam said then turned to his brothers. "Daniel, Dean…I'm sorry for making you worry. It won't happen again."

Sam hung his head and walked sullenly toward his room. He never looked back or he would have seen his family watching him with concern. He entered the room he shared with Dean and closed the door softly behind him. He shuffled to his bed and laid down, not bothering to remove his clothing, even leaving his shoes on. He wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes, a tear or two creeping from the corners. Sam lay for quite sometime before his breathing evened out and he fell into a fitful slumber.

Back in the livingroom Dean and Daniel stared at John, frustration and a little anger mixed in their glares.

"Dad…what was that? Why did you say that to him?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"After everything that's happened, you have to ask me that?" John shot back to his oldest son.

"Just because none of us have gotten over what happened as well as Sam has doesn't mean he should have to live in a bubble Dad!" Daniel flipped back.

"I don't want him in a bubble, I just want him safe, Daniel," John said evenly.

"Did you have to tell him he was inconsiderate? Geez Dad, that kid puts everyone ahead of himself and you know it," Dean chimed in.

"Okay, yeah. I shouldn't have said that but if it means Sam thinks a little bit more, I can live with it," John replied.

"He was hanging out with his girl who he's gonna be leaving in a week, Dad. Give him a break for once," Daniel shot.

"Watch your mouth Daniel! Didn't we just discuss that some man was following Sam? We can't drop our guard boys. Not for a minute. Not when it's Sammy."

"We know that Dad. But if this guy really is following Sam then it wouldn't have mattered what time he came home. It's probably nothing anyway," Dean said.

"We have to assume it is something Dean. I don't want him going anywhere by himself until we leave. If he wants to spend time with Alisa, he gets dropped off and picked up. Understand?" John commanded.

"Yes sir. We understand. Sam's not gonna be happy about it though," Daniel replied.

"We can worry about his happiness when we're sure he's safe," John said sternly.

"That's just it Dad. When is Sam ever truly safe?" Dean queried. "When are any of us?"

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**Okay, I know...when does the excitement start? I promise it's coming. I think I will post another chapter later tonight due to this one being somewhat short and uneventful. Let me know if you liked it please.**

**Cindy.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the bonus chapter as promised. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Cindy.**

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"Here we are Sammy. Now, don't do anything I would do," Dean quipped, pumping his eyebrows teasingly.

"Don't you mean don't do anything you wouldn't do?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes as he opened the Impala door.

"Nope, I mean just what I said," Dean replied.

"Well…that doesn't leave a whole lot for me to do Dean. About the only thing you wouldn't do is watch chick flicks and bake cookies," Sam quipped.

"Well, there you go. You can watch Gone With the Wind and bake snickerdoodles," Dean said with a chuckle.

Sam shook his head and was about to close the door when Dean burst out laughing. Sam leaned back into the car and eyed his brother curiously. "What's so funny Dean?"

"Snickerdoodles! Where the hell did they get that name from anyway?" Dean said as he continued to bust a gut.

"You know what Dean? You're insane! I can't believe I'm related to you," Sam quipped with a grin.

"Yeah…well you are…so get over it," Dean replied gleefully.

"See you later Dean," Sam said as he rolled his eyes.

"Hey Sammy! Remember, don't go anywhere. I'll be here to pick you up at ten. Got it?" Dean shot as Sam began to shut the door.

"I know Dean. Ten o'clock. See you then," Sam said, slamming the door and rushing up the walk to Alisa's house.

Dean watched Sam for a moment, making sure he was inside before he pulled away from the curb and sped down the street. He couldn't help but worry about his baby brother. With everything that had happened and now a possible stalker following Sam, Dean had not been able to relax at all. He knew John and Daniel were in the same boat as he. Just last night he had listened as John had roamed the house checking doors and windows only to open the front door to go outside and check the yard and surrounding neighborhood for the third time before coming back in to once again secure the windows and doors. Daniel basically just followed Sam whenever he went outdoors, much to Sam's chagrin. The only reason Daniel didn't accompany Dean and Sam this evening was because John needed him at home to help inventory their weapons for their upcoming move. Dean shook off the uneasy feeling he had and headed for home where his father and brother waited for him.

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"So, when are your folks getting home?" Sam asked as he fastened the button on his jeans.

"Uh…around nine or so," Alisa replied, zipping up her skirt then straightening her messy hair.

"Oh. What do you want to do now?" Sam queried with a grin as he moved to Alisa and pulled her to his chest.

"Why don't we take a walk. It's real nice outside," Alisa answered, reaching up to lightly kiss Sam's lips.

Sam pulled away, gazing down into bright sapphire eyes. "Uh…a walk? Outside? Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay in?"

Alisa looked up to Sam, her eyes narrowing with confusion. "Sam, is there something wrong? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Nothings wrong. Why do you ask?" Sam replied softly.

"Is there a reason you don't want to go outside for a walk?" Alisa asked with concern.

"No…not really. I just thought you might want to watch a movie or something," Sam said.

"We can watch a movie if you want to Sam. We don't have to go for a walk," Alisa said as she reached up to cup Sam's cheek.

"You know what…let's take that walk. It's a nice night. I just need to be back before Dean picks me up at ten," Sam said, grabbing the sweater from the back of Alisa's desk chair and helping the girl into it.

"Are you sure Sam? If you don't want to take a walk we can go hang out in the back yard," Alisa replied.

"No. My girl wants to take a walk. What my girl wants, my girl gets," Sam said with a grin.

Alisa smiled and grasped Sam's hand. The two teenagers exited Alisa's room and headed for the front door. Alisa paused to write a quick note to her parents as she didn't want to search for her brother to tell him where she was going. As the couple left the house and started down the walk, Sam glanced about uneasily as he tried to pick out any movement that didn't belong. Alisa tugged lightly on his arm and giggled as she pulled him down the sidewalk. They walked for some time before they came to a park and Alisa took off running toward the swingset that stood in the middle of the playground area.

Sam laughed happily as he watched Alisa jump into a swing and start pumping her legs, making the swing go higher and higher. Sam hurried to the swings and sat in the swing next to Alisa. He swung lazily, smiling broadly as Alisa giggled like a little girl. Alisa finally slowed the swing and glanced over to Sam, her pretty eyes suddenly bright with tears. Sam frowned and eased himself over closer to the girl, softly caressing her cheek.

"What's wrong Alisa? Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

"I-I just love y-you so much Sam. You're gonna be leaving s-soon and I know I'm never gonna see you again," Alisa whispered, tears trailing lightly down her cheeks.

Sam eased out of his swing and crouched in front of Alisa, pulling her to him and guiding her head to rest on his shoulder. He rubbed circles on her back as he whispered comfortingly.

"Shhh…it's okay Alisa. Don't cry. Please?" he said tenderly.

"I can't help it. What am I gonna do when you leave? I'm gonna miss you so much," Alisa sobbed brokenheartedly.

"Alisa…I'm sorry. I don't know what to do. I love you too and I'm going to miss you, but I have to go. My dad has to move where the jobs are and he won't let me stay behind," Sam said sadly, his hand softly brushing through Alisa's hair.

Alisa pulled away from Sam and looked up at him with wide eyes, her lashes wet with tears. She leaned in and kissed Sam softly, her eyes closing at the feel of his soft lips. Sam pulled Alisa in closer to him, the kiss deepening. Alisa finally pulled away and stared up with those sapphire eyes, melting Sam's heart all over again.

"Let's go back Sam. We still have time before my folks get home," Alisa whispered, a smile brightening her face.

Sam smiled and pulled her up from the swing then wrapped his arm around her waist. The couple headed across the park toward Alisa's house, their steps hurried as their desire grew. They came quickly around a small lean-to that hid a picnic table and ran smack dab into a man that stood blanketed in the shadows. The couple quickly backpeddled and Sam instinctively pushed Alisa behind him. He looked toward the man, the hairs on his neck standing on end.

"S-Sorry mister. We…uh…didn't see you there," Sam said shakily, pushing Alisa backwards as he began to back up.

"No harm done, Sam. None at all," the man said as he stepped from the shadows.

Sam gasped as the man made himself visible. He recognized him as the man who stood across from his house several nights ago. And the man knew his name. He wasn't much older than Daniel, but his hardened eyes made him appear much older. There was something familiar about those eyes that Sam couldn't put his finger on. He continued to back up, keeping Alisa behind him.

"H-How do you know my name?" Sam asked warily.

"I know a lot about you Sam. More than you can imagine," the man sneered, then he snaked his hand out and grabbed Sam's arm painfully.

"Alisa…get out of here. Go…now!" Sam commanded, pushing Alisa further behind him.

"No! I'm not leaving you Sam," Alisa cried, her voice trembling with fear.

"You should listen to Sammy boy, little girl. This is between me and him. Run now while you can," the man snarled, his fingers digging deeper into Sam's arm.

"Sam, who is this? What does he want?" Alisa cried, her hand grasping Sam's free wrist.

"I-I don't know. Get out of here Alisa. Get help. Please Alisa, get help!" Sam shot.

"Sam? I…I don't…" Alisa stammered.

"Go Alisa! Now!" Sam shouted.

Alisa let out a startled yelp, then backed away before she turned and ran across the park. She stopped at the edge and turned fear filled eyes back toward Sam and the man, not sure what to do.

Sam stared at the man, his eyes steady as he pushed the fear deep inside himself. He had to get away, had to keep Alisa safe. He tried to pull his arm free, but the man's grip was too strong. He glared at him and suddenly swung his other fist, connecting square with the man's jaw. The man stumbled back but didn't release Sam's arm, thus pulling the teen off balance. When he gained his footing, the man yanked Sam forward, bringing his free hand forward and connecting with Sam's stomach.

Sam cried out as agonizing pain spread through his stomach and around to his back. He had a brief thought that the guy must have used brass knuckles on him, the pain was so great. Sam's legs went numb and he dropped to his knees, falling forward further when the man let go of his arm. He tried to push himself up but he had no strength to do so. The man reached down and grasped a handful of Sam's hair then jerked his head back until they were face to face.

"We have a lot to talk about Sam. You must pay for your sins," he spat, his eyes dangerous.

The man let go of Sam's hair and the boy tried once again to stand. He pushed his feet under himself and slowly pushed up, but the pain lanced through him again and he stumbled sideways, tumbling to the ground onto his side. He couldn't understand why a punch to the stomach hurt so badly and why for some reason he found it difficult to breathe, difficult to speak. He slowly rolled onto his back and reached his fingers down his stomach to where the pain was concentrated. His fingers fell upon something cold and hard. Sam's sluggish and confused mind tried to make sense of what his fingers were feeling. He slowly raised his head and glanced down his body. His heart raced as he saw what his fingers held. He dropped his head down and closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"Ahhh…God…" he whispered as blackness encroached upon his vision.

Sam jerked weakly when the man appeared above him, a cruel smile playing over his lips. The man was speaking but Sam couldn't understand what he was saying. It sounded like he was speaking through water, his voice muffled and distorted. Suddenly, something slammed into the man, knocking him to the side. Sam caught a glimpse of black and pink. He heard another voice and then a sharp cry then all was silent. The man appeared again and Sam felt a hand cup his cheek, then the hand was removed, replaced by the feel of fingers running along his jawline, then over his lips.

Sam heard more voices, voices that were filled with alarm and then the man was pulling away from him, and then he was gone. The blackness began to fill his vision once again and Sam felt hurried hands suddenly touch his face and his arms. He tried to fight the darkness, but soon lost his battle and plunged into the abyss where no more pain could find him.

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**So, there it is. We finally got us some action! And now our dark journey begins. Please review.**

**Cindy.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I'm sorry to have left you with that cliffy for so long. I'm afraid there are not many answers to all of your questions in this chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Cindy.**

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Dean pulled up outside the Chambers residence expecting to see Sam either waiting on the porch or watching for him from the window. When he saw no evidence of either he glanced nervously across the seat where Daniel was seated, his own eyes searching for their baby brother. A hint of panic hit both brothers as the minutes ticked by and still Sam did not emerge from the house.

"Where the hell is he?" Dean cried worriedly, his eyes searching the homes windows for any sign of his brother.

"Maybe he fell asleep again," Daniel theorized.

Dean glanced toward Daniel then grabbed the door handle and pushed the driver's door open. He stalked up the walk to the house and knocked a little too forcefully on the door. He shuffled from foot to foot as he waited for the door to be opened. Dean was about to knock again when the door opened and Elaine Chambers stood in the doorway smiling out at him.

"Well…hello Dean. What are you doing here?" the woman asked.

"Uh…I was supposed to pick Sam up at ten. Can you get him for me?" Dean replied.

Elaine furrowed her brow as she looked at Dean. "Sam's not here Dean," she said evenly.

"What? Where is he?" Dean asked, the panic he had felt earlier growing.

"He and Alisa took a walk. Phillip and I were out this evening but Alisa left a note," Elaine explained.

"How long ago? Did she say where they were going?" Dean queried, glancing nervously back to Daniel, who still waited in the car.

"I don't know when they left or where they went but Alisa said they'd be back before ten," Elaine answered, becoming nervous herself.

"It's after ten Mrs. Chambers," Dean stated, more panicked as every minute passed.

"I'm sure the kids just lost track of time. They should be here any minute now," was Elaine Chamber's anxious reply.

Dean glanced toward Daniel again, the fear on his face prompting the oldest Winchester sibling to exit the car and make his way to his younger brother. He stepped up next to Dean and peered at him anxiously.

"What's going on Dean?" Daniel queried.

"Sam and Alisa went for a walk and they're past due for being back," Dean replied.

"Did you try calling them?" Daniel asked, his heart racing.

"I-I'll try Alisa," Elaine said.

Elaine Chambers picked up her phone and dialed a number, then waited for her daughter to answer. A confused look crossed her face as she ended the attempted call.

"She didn't answer. That's not like her at all," Elaine said, her voice shaky with sudden anxiety.

Dean pulled out his cell and punched in Sam's number. He frowned when the call went unanswered and switched to Sam's voicemail.

"Daniel, something's wrong. Sam would've answered," Dean cried fearfully, his eyes trained on his older brother.

Daniel returned Dean's fear filled gaze as he swallowed against the bile that rose in his throat. Neither Sam nor Alisa were answering their phones, which was completely out of character for them. Daniel pulled his phone out and dialed Sam's number again. It rang several times and Daniel was about to hang up when the call was answered. He felt utter relief until he heard a stranger's voice on the other end.

"Hello? Who is this?" a female voice queried.

"Uh…who is this and why do you have my brother's phone?" Daniel shot, holding his finger up to silence Dean when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Oh…you're his brother? I'm going to let you speak to the officer in charge. Just a moment," the woman said.

"No…wait. Officer in charge?" Daniel cried, but got no immediate response.

There was a shuffling sound before a deeper male voice came on the line.

"Yes…this is Detective Casey. Who am I speaking to?" the deep voice asked.

"Detective? I don't understand. Why do you have my brother's phone? What's going on?" Daniel queried, panic evident in his voice.

"Sir…I need to know who you are before I can answer any of your questions."

Daniel looked from Dean to Elaine Chambers, both of whom were staring at him with anxious eyes. "I'm Daniel Winchester and the phone you're speaking on belongs to my little brother Sam. Now Detective, please tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Can you please give me a description of your brother?" Detective Casey requested.

"He's about five foot ten…gangly…dark shaggy hair. He was wearing a green tee shirt under a white and green striped button down shirt and blue jeans. Now please…what's wrong with my brother?"

"Mr. Winchester, your brother was attacked along with a young lady. We don't know what the motive was, but both victims were seriously hurt…" the detective explained before he was cut off.

"What!? Is he…are they okay? What happened?" Daniel queried as his knees began to buckle.

Dean reached out to steady his brother, his eyes searching Daniel's face frantically. When Daniel stared ahead in shock, Dean took the phone from him.

"Mr. Winchester, do you know who the young lady is who was with your brother tonight?" the detective asked.

"This is Dean Winchester, Sam's other brother. What the hell is going on?" Dean cried into the phone.

"Mr. Winchester, as I explained to your brother, Sam and a young lady were attacked in a park about an hour ago. Now please, can you tell me the young lady's name?"

"Uh…it's…it's Alisa Chambers. Please…are they okay?" Dean replied, his eyes falling on a suddenly pale and panicked Elaine Chambers.

"I can't really discuss their condition over the phone. All I can say is that you need to get to the hospital as soon as you can. We'll talk in length when you get here," the detective replied.

"Wh-what hospital?" Dean stammered.

"Both of the victims have been brought to Dominican Hospital. I will need to speak with your parents. Can you inform them they need to come to the hospital?"

"Uh…yeah…there's just our dad and us. We'll be there soon."

"Do you know how to get ahold of the young lady's family?"

"Actually, her mother is standing right here," Dean replied as he handed the phone to the frantic woman.

Dean turned to Daniel while Elaine spoke with the detective. He grasped Daniel's arm and peered intently at his face.

"Daniel…we have to call Dad. We need to tell him to meet us at the hospital," Dean said softly.

Daniel stared at Dean, then nodded his head. They both turned suddenly when they heard Elaine Chambers cry out.

"Oh God! Phillip! Please Phillip…Alex! Oh my God…my baby…oh my God…" she cried as she dropped the phone to the floor.

Daniel reached for the distraught woman's arm and gently led her to a chair that was near the door. Phillip Chambers ran into the foyer, followed closely by his son, Alex. He looked at Daniel and Dean with confusion.

"What's wrong? Elaine…what's wrong?" Phillip asked anxiously.

"Alisa…attacked…she's…she's hurt," Elaine stammered.

"Mr. Chambers. Alisa and Sam were attacked tonight. They were taken to Dominican Hospital. We spoke with a Detective Casey. They need us all at the hospital as soon as possible," Dean said urgently.

"Oh my God! Are they okay?"

"The detective wouldn't say anything about their condition over the phone," Dean answered.

"Uh…okay. Dominican?" Mr. Chambers asked, his face pale from shock.

"Yeah. Ask for Detective Casey," Dean said as he and Daniel hurried down the stairs.

Daniel turned and rushed back toward the house, then leaned through the doorway and retrieved his phone from the floor. He nodded to Mr. Chambers then rushed back toward the Impala, dialing John's number as he went. He spoke hurriedly when John's voicemail answered.

"Dad…Sam's been attacked. Meet us at Dominican Hospital. Ask for Detective Casey if you don't see us."

Daniel snapped his phone shut and climbed into the Impala, bracing himself as Dean peeled away from the curb. The brothers rode in silence to the hospital, neither of them ready to voice their fears. When they arrived, Dean screeched into the first spot he found and soon both brothers were running for the ER entrance. They burst through the doors and several startled faces turned their way. They rushed to the reception desk and were met by a middle aged woman with flaming red hair and lips painted the brightest red Dean had ever seen.

"Our brother and his girlfriend were brought in…Sam Winchester. Uh…Detective Casey…we're supposed to ask for Detective Casey," Daniel barked at the now flustered woman.

"Oh…my, let me see…Winchester…" she stammered as she clicked away on her computer. "Oh, yes…here he is."

"Is he okay? What happened to him?" Dean cried impatiently.

"Oh…I'm sorry young man. I don't have any of that information. I'll page the doctor assigned to him and also you said you were to ask for a Detective Casey?" the woman said sympathetically.

"Yes…yes, Detective Casey. Please hurry," Daniel replied.

"One moment," the woman said and soon the announcement was going out, paging Dr. Heely and Detective Casey to the ER reception area.

The woman looked up and smiled warmly with her garish lips before instructing the two distraught young men to take a seat. No sooner had they entered the waiting area then a man of about forty was approaching them. They stepped up to the man, apprehension heavy in the air.

"Are you the men I spoke with earlier?" the man asked.

"Detective Casey?" Daniel asked, then continued when the man nodded. "I'm Daniel Winchester and this is my brother Dean.

"Detective Shawn Casey," the man said as he reached his hand out to the two men.

Once all hands were shaken, Detective Casey motioned for the young men to follow him. He glanced around before stopping and turning. "You said your father would be here?" he inquired.

"Yeah…we left him a message to meet us here. Now please, what happened to our brother?" Dean asked fearfully.

"I'd really like to wait until your father arrives. I'm sure Dr. Heely will want to speak to you all and I'd rather only go over this once," the detective answered.

"Detective, we're not sure when our dad will be here. Please just tell us about our brother and we'll fill him in," Daniel said pleadingly.

Just as the detective as about to speak, a commotion broke out in the reception area. Dean and Daniel hurried from the waiting area when a loud voice boomed through the ER.

"Where the hell is my son!?"

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**That's it for now. I may be enticed into posting another chapter...if you ask me nicely! LOL Reviews are like chocolate!**

**Cindy.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, the votes are in. And another chapter it is. I hope this answers some of your questions. I'm afraid it isn't going to make anyone feel any better though.**

**Cindy.**

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"Dad! Hey…Dad! Calm down…" Daniel called as he hurried across the floor to where his father stood at the reception desk, his face red with anger and looking like he was ready to strangle the clown lady who cowered on the other side.

John spun around and immediately rushed in the direction of his sons when he saw them coming towards him. As the men approached each other, John wasted no time in shooting his questions at his bewildered sons.

"What the hell's going on? Where's Sam? Your message said he was attacked…"

"Dad…we just got here ourselves. How did you get here so fast anyway?" Dean answered.

"I was checking in with Emmitt on that new job. Now…what happened?" John replied impatiently.

"We were just about to find that out ourselves. Dad…this is Shawn Casey. He's the detective who is assigned to Sam's case," Daniel said indicating the blonde, blue eyed man to his right.

"Detective Casey," John acknowledged as he shook the man's hand. "What happened to my son?"

"Maybe we should go some place a little more private," the detective answered.

"Look…we just want to know what happened to our brother. Please…" Dean said warily.

"Okay…let's have a seat over here," Detective Casey said, motioning to some chairs a few feet away.

The three Winchesters chose seats facing the detective and gave him their full attention. The detective swallowed, suddenly nervous under the intense glares of the men across from him. He decided the best course was to just spit it out.

"At approximately 8:30 this evening a 911 call came in from a young man who said he and his two friends were driving by Sandstone Park when they saw a large man leaning over another person who was lying on the ground. They didn't think it looked right so they stopped their car and got out, then shouted out, asking if everything was okay. They said when the man saw them he took off, leaving the other person on the ground…"

Detective Casey paused, giving the men a chance to absorb all of the information before he continued. When no questions came his way, he began to speak again.

"The three men ran across the grass and discovered a young man, your son, and a young lady lying in the grass. Sam was barely conscious and Ms. Chambers was unconscious. Ms. Chambers had hit her head and Sam…" the detective halted, uneasy about having to relay the next bit of information.

"Please detective…what happened to my boy?" John queried worriedly.

The detective nodded apologetically, then continued. "Sam had been stabbed in the abdomen. The knife was still protruding from his stomach…"

The detective lowered his eyes as shocked gasps escaped the brother's lips. John sat stoically, waiting with angry eyes for the detective to finish.

"Uh…luckily the young men had enough wits about them to not remove the knife and they immediately called 911. When I arrived, Alisa Chambers was already enroute to the hospital and Sam had just been stabilized enough to transport," the detective finished sympathetically.

"Did the men say what this man looked like? Could they see him well enough?" Daniel queried, his trembling hands squeezing his knees painfully.

"They couldn't see a lot but they said he was tall, muscular…he had dark hair. But that's about all they could tell me," Detective Casey replied, then stood when another man dressed in a white lab coat approached.

The Winchesters rose and turned their attention to the man, their nerves rattled even more at the look on the man's face.

"Dr. Heely…this is Sam Winchester's family. His father, John…brother's Daniel and Dean…" the detective said as the man shook hands. "If you'll excuse me I'm going to see if the Chambers' have arrived yet. I'll come talk more to you later."

The detective took his leave after shaking hands with the Winchester men again, then the men turned their attention to the doctor.

"Dr. Heely…how is my son? Is he okay?" John queried as he stared intently at the doctor.

Doctor Heely was a man of approximately fifty years of age with kind brown eyes and graying hair. He motioned for the men to sit and he took the seat that Detective Casey had just vacated. He smiled softly then began to speak.

"Your son was brought in with a knife protruding from the right, lower area of his abdomen. Now…abdominal stab wounds can be very dangerous. If an internal organ is eviscerated, it can cause internal bleeding and depending upon the severity, can also cause organ damage or failure."

Dr. Heely waited until he was sure the men before him were in the mental shape for him to continue.

"There are several things we can do to try and determine the extent of damage done. We have already performed a CT scan in an attempt to see what damage may have been done. The results of the scan and also of an ultrasound were inconclusive…" Dr. Heely explained, pausing to see if the men had any questions. When they sat there, their gazes held firmly on him, he continued.

"Uh…so…our next step was to do a peritoneal lavage…"

"What's a peritoneal lavage?" John queried nervously.

"It's a test used to determine the presence of internal bleeding. A small incision is made next to the navel and a long, flexible plastic tube is inserted into the abdomen. A small amount of abdominal fluid is removed through the tube and checked for blood. If blood is present, it can indicate an internal bleed," the doctor explained as clearly as he could.

"And you performed this test?" Dean asked, his face pale.

"Yes…we did. There was blood present in the abdominal fluid," the doctor replied.

"So…what does that mean?" John asked evenly.

"Well…in Sam's case, it could mean nothing. It's very possible the blood is from the stab wound and no organs were damaged," the doctor said.

"Or…?" Daniel prodded.

"Or it could mean that because of the area of the stab wound, Sam's intestines could have been eviscerated, which is extremely dangerous," Dr. Heely replied.

"So what do you do now?" Daniel asked fearfully.

"Now…now we will need to do an exploratory laparotomy to see what is going on. Now what that means is we surgically go in and see exactly what has or has not been damaged and we fix it. We'll remove the knife at this time," Dr. Heely explained.

"You haven't removed the knife!?" Dean cried with alarm.

"Without knowing what's going on inside your brother's abdomen, it would be too dangerous to remove the knife. If his intestines have been pierced there could be dire consequences. There is also a chance a blood vessel could have been damaged. If we just pull the knife out, Sam could bleed out before we could do anything to stop it," the doctor said sofly.

"You do what you have to do to help my son," John said firmly.

"There's a scar on Sam's abdomen that looks fairly recent. Can you tell me about that?" Dr. Heely asked.

"Sam was in a car accident last year. His spleen was damaged," John explained.

"Okay, that's good to know. He'll be more susceptible to infection so we'll need to put him on an antibiotic drip," the doctor said, more to himself than to anyone else.

Dr. Heely stood and soon the Winchesters were standing also.

"Follow me. I'll take you to the OR one waiting room. The accommodations are much more comfortable," the doctor said.

The three hunters followed the doctor to the bank of elevators and waited for one of the lifts to arrive.

"How long will Sam's surgery take?" Dean asked tiredly.

"Uh…depending on what we find it could take anywhere from one to three hours," the doctor replied.

When the elevator arrived, the men boarded and rode in silence to the third floor. When the lift halted and the doors opened, the men stepped into the hall.

"Can we see Sam before his surgery?" John queried softly.

"I'm sorry. Sam has already been taken to the pre-op area to be readied for his surgery. I'll send a nurse out with updates as often as possible. The waiting area is right down the hall," Dr. Heely answered, then hurried off to prepare himself for his young patients surgery.

The Winchester's walked the short distance to the waiting room and went in, each taking a seat at the far end of the room. They sat in silence for quite some time before John finally spoke up, his gruff voice filled with anger.

"Okay…who wants to explain to me why Sam was out wandering about when he was not supposed to go anywhere unsupervised?" John queried tersely.

"It…it's my fault Dad. I took him to Alisa's and dropped him off. I waited until he was inside, then I came home. Dad…I told him not to go anywhere…I should have stuck around and kept an eye on him," Dean said softly as he dropped his head into his hands.

John stood and paced the floor, dragging a shaky hand through his thick hair. He sighed heavily before stopping in front of his middle son. He rested his hand on Dean's shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"It's not your fault Dean. I wanted you home to help with the weapons. Sam never should have left Alisa's…"

"Dad…don't start blaming Sam. He probably thought he'd be okay if he wasn't alone. This isn't anybody's fault," Daniel said tiredly.

"I know Daniel. I'm not trying to blame Sam, and I'm not blaming anyone else either. I just…I don't understand why this is happening again. I'm angry and worried and…" John halted as his voice began to shake with emotion.

Daniel stood next to his father and draped his arm across his shoulders. "He'll be okay Dad. He'll be fine and we'll find the bastard who did this to him and Alisa."

John nodded and looked around the room. Seeing the out of order sign on the vending machine, he looked to his sons. "I'm gonna go find some coffee. You boys want any? It's gonna be a long night I'm afraid."

"Yeah, I'll have a cup Dad," Dean replied.

John looked to Daniel who nodded in affirmation. He left his boys in the waiting room and began his search for caffeine.

Daniel paced the floor of the waiting room, throwing nervous glances at Dean each time he passed him. Dean looked up, his eyes showing his irritation.

"Dude…could you please sit the hell down? I'm nervous enough and you aren't helping any. And what's with all the little looks you're sending me?" Dean shot.

Daniel sighed and sat next to his brother. He leant down, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. He lowered his head and for a moment, Dean thought he was praying.

"Dude…" Dean started.

"Dean…I'm sorry…I…I really am sorry," Daniel stammered.

"What? What are you talking about? What do you have to be sorry for?" Dean asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Uh…the other night…the night Sam…you know," Daniel started.

"Yeah…what about it?" Dean queried, his confusion growing.

"I…uh…I called you a slut. I was out of line and I'm sorry man. I was just joking, but I think it came off sounding serious," Daniel said, eyeing his brother nervously.

Dean chuckled before slapping Daniel lightly on the back. "Dude…it's no big deal. Sheesh, it's not like it isn't true! Have you been worrying about this Daniel?"

"Yeah…kinda. I feel bad. I mean…what if something had happened to you and not Sam? I may never have gotten the chance to apologize."

"Daniel…there's nothing to apologize for. You were kidding. I knew you were kidding. Just forget about it," Dean quipped.

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked.

A soft punch to the arm was Dean's reply and the brother's chuckled softly before turning their thoughts back to their baby brother.

"That description the detective gave us?" Daniel said.

"Yeah?" Dean replied.

"Matches the man Sam said he saw outside our house. You think it's the same guy and he followed Sam to that park?"

"I think it's a pretty safe bet that the man who hurt Sammy is his stalker," Dean said, anger making his voice shake.

"Yeah…I'm gonna rip that son of a bitch apart when we find him!" Daniel blurted.

"Get in line big brother. Get in line," Dean said, his voice low and menacing.

John took that moment to enter, balancing three steaming cups of coffee in his hands. The boys quickly rose and each took a cup.

"I ran into the Chambers' down in the other waiting room. Alisa's in surgery," John said sadly.

The boys nodded solemnly and the three men moved to their seats and settled in for their long wait. The three took turns pacing as the minutes stretched on and soon an hour and a half had passed with no word on Sam. They were becoming quite agitated when two hours had passed with still no word. Daniel had left to try and get information, but came back dejected and empty handed.

Dean and Daniel were seated and John was pacing when a shrill scream carried down the hallway, filling the Winchester men's hearts with dread. They rushed out into the hall and looked down to the other end. What they saw made their blood run cold.

Elaine Chambers was nearly collapsed, her arms being held by a frantic Phillip Chambers. Elaine's screams were those of a tortured, destroyed person. Her chants of "Oh my God! My baby!" would remain in the nightmares of all three hunters for as long as they lived.

They watched in shock and grief as Alex Chambers slid down the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest, then dropped his head onto his knees, his arms flung over his head. His body jerked with his sobs and his father looked dazed as he glanced from his wife to his son, unable to decide whom to comfort. Elaine Chambers suddenly listed to the side and Phillip Chambers' screams brought the doctor who had apparently delivered the devastating news to his knees next to the now limp woman.

The three hunters walked slowly back into the waiting room and sank into their chairs, their shocked eyes staring from one to the other.

"Oh my God Dad. Oh my God…Sam…" Daniel whispered as he lowered his head and began to cry.

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**I'm in hiding now. You will not be able to find me...and if you kill me I won't be able to post the rest of the story. So....................please forgive me! Please review and please...be kind!**

**Cindy.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, I really got a response to that chapter. I know, I'm cruel to have killed Alisa. Unfortunately, it had to be done to further the story along. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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John paced nervously, his eyes constantly flicking toward the doorway of the waiting room. They had been waiting over three hours now without even one of the promised updates on Sam's progress. John figured this could only mean that things were worse off for Sam than the doctor had thought. He noted the lost looks on his older son's faces and swallowed back the lump that had formed in his throat. His thoughts went back to the Chambers' and his knees went weak with the what ifs that that scene had stirred up in his brain.

What if Dr. Heely walked into their waiting room and gave them the same news the Chambers family had received? What if the last thing John had really said to Sam was that he thought he was inconsiderate? Sam had been avoiding John the past several days, ever since that night. John mentally kicked himself for not seeking his youngest out to apologize, but apologizing just wasn't the John Winchester way now was it, John thought ruefully.

John neared a small, metal trashcan and kicked out in anger, sending the trashcan flying into the far wall. Daniel and Dean were startled out of their own thoughts at the loud crash and peered at their father warily.

"Where the hell is that doctor!? John shouted, rubbing his hands through his hair. "What the hell is taking so damned long!?"

Dean rose and walked to where John stood and grasped his arm. He pulled him around until the two men faced each other.

"Dad, I'm sure everything is okay. I mean…no news is good news right?" Dean said, his own worry showing clearly in the lines on his face.

"The doctor said one to three hours and it's past that now. And no one has come to tell us anything. I just…with everything that's happened…I…all I can picture in my head is the Chambers'. That could be us…"

"Dad…stop. Usually it's you trying to calm me down, but…I just feel that he's okay. Maybe things are worse than we hoped, but I feel that Sam'll be fine," Dean said as he squeezed John's arm slightly.

"I hope you're right Dean. We fought so hard to not lose him last year, I just don't know what I'll do if we lose him now…"

"We're not losing him Dad. Sam's a fighter. He won't leave us…he's to damned stubborn…just like you old man," Daniel said as he rose and joined his family.

John chuckled at that and nodded. "Yeah, that's one thing he and I have in common."

"Oh, you and Sam are more alike than either of you will ever admit to Dad," Dean quipped.

A noise at the door brought the three hunters attention quickly to the harried looking man who stood there. Dr. Heely looked exhausted as he glanced at the three men. He was still dressed in his scrubs and John shuddered when he spotted blood on one sleeve. Sam's blood. It was Dean who broke through the silence and spoke up.

"Dr. Heely…how is my brother? Is he okay?"

"Why don't we take a seat gentlemen," the doctor said tiredly.

Father and son's glanced warily at each other before each took a seat. Dr. Heely sat opposite the three men and sighed before beginning.

"First of all, Sam is alive. We had some rough moments, but he's quite the fighter. He's holding his own right now."

"Sam's always been a fighter doc," Dean said with admiration in his voice.

"So…what happened? Why did it take so long for his surgery?" John asked impatiently.

"Well, when we opened Sam up, we quickly discovered a few serious problems. Sam's abdomen was full of blood. The knife had nicked a blood vessel and Sam was slowly bleeding out. We had to pull the knife out before we could repair the vessel, but the knife had also perforated the intestines. We had to get another surgeon in so one could fix the blood vessel and one could repair the intestines," the doctor explained wearily.

"How much blood did Sam lose?" Daniel asked, his heart hammering in his chest.

"We had to give him three units to replace what he had lost," the doctor replied.

The three hunters gasped and Dean felt thankful he was sitting, because if he weren't he probably would have fallen.

"So…we clamped off the blood vessel and suctioned the blood from Sam's abdomen. We removed the knife, careful not to do any further damage. Dr. Ang repaired the blood vessel while I repaired the intestines. Sam…uh…" the doctor trailed off and rubbed a tired hand over his face.

"Sam what?" John queried uneasily.

"As I said, Sam lost a lot of blood. Sam's heart stopped at one point. He…he was down for over four minutes before we could get it started again."

The three hunters paled and Daniel stood, his hand over his mouth as he walked a few feet away. Tears fell silently from his eyes as he listened when Dean spoke.

"His heart wasn't beating for over four minutes? Is he…will he be okay?"

"There shouldn't be any brain damage, but we will need to keep a very close eye on him," the doctor replied.

"Is he breathing on his own?" John asked as he watched Dean walk to Daniel and drape an arm across his big brother's shoulders.

"He is. He'll have an oxygen mask on to make sure he's getting an adequate supply. He'll be put in the ICU so his heart can be monitored closely. We also need to keep a close eye out for infection. With an intestinal evisceration, infection is always a big worry," Dr. Heely explained.

"When can we see him?" Dean asked.

"He's still in recovery. I'll send a nurse to take you to him when he's been settled in the ICU. You'll be able to stay with him as long as you're quiet and don't get in the way."

"We'll behave. We're not leaving Sam," Daniel said softly.

"Hey doc? Can you tell us what happened with Alisa Chambers? We saw her family and …well…" Dean queried.

"I really shouldn't say anything and I most certainly don't want anything said to Sam," the doctor said.

"We won't say anything," John replied.

The doctor seemed to consider the request for a moment, then nodded before he spoke.

"Ms. Chambers came in with severe head trauma. Now I didn't treat her, but I know that she had a fractured skull. A CT scan showed that she had a bleed in her brain. From what I understand, she arrested on the operating table and they were unable to revive her," the doctor explained sadly.

John lowered his head, grief washing over him for the girl who Sam cared for so much. He grieved for her family who would never hear her laugh or see her smile again. No parent should ever have to bury their child. John could not explain it, but he had a strong feeling that Alisa had tried to help Sam and had been hurt in her attempt. If that was the case, John owed her and her family more than they could ever know. He vowed that he would make sure that whomever did this to Sam and Alisa would pay with their life. John could not bring Alisa back to her family, but he could bring them justice. John glanced up when Dr. Heely spoke again.

"Just so you know, Sam is going to be pretty much out of it for awhile. I need him to get as much rest as possible. His injuries are life threatening and the less stress he's under, the better. He's being given strong pain medication which will keep him heavily sedated."

"How long will he need to be sedated?" Daniel asked, uneasy with his baby brother basically being held in a drug induced stupor.

"For as long as it takes to get him in the clear. He'll have moments of wakefulness, but he'll be confused and muddled. I want to reiterate that under no circumstances is he to be told about Ms. Chambers. Not until all danger has passed," the doctor stated firmly.

"What if he asks about her? I mean…he will ask about her doc. I don't like lying to my brother," Dean said.

"If you want your brother to pull through this, you will do just that. I can't emphasize enough how close you all came to losing him tonight. He's not out of the woods yet and any stress could cause him further damage," Dr. Heely lectured.

"We will not tell him about Alisa until you say it's okay. We'll do everything in our power to make sure he gets better. Right Dean?" John said firmly.

"Yes sir. I understand," Dean answered.

"Well, good then. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my patient. It shouldn't be too much longer before you can sit with him," the doctor said with a tired smile.

"Thank you Dr. Heely. We can't thank you enough for what you've done for our Sammy," John said as he shook the doctors hand.

"It's my pleasure Mr. Winchester. I just hope they find the monster who did this and make him pay," the doctor replied.

"Oh…he'll pay for what he's done,' Daniel said through clenched teeth.

The doctor nodded then left the waiting room and walked off down the hallway, leaving the Winchester men to their own devices.

John headed for the door, stopping when his oldest son called after him.

"Where are you going Dad?" Daniel asked.

"I need to make some phone calls," John answered shortly. "We need to find the bastard who did this and we're going to need help."

With that, John left his two oldest sons to wait on their own.

John returned a half hour later with three more coffee's and a bag of doughnuts. The three ate in silence and once the food was gone, John spoke up.

"Bobby's on his way. He should get here…" John glanced at his watch noting it was well after midnight, then spoke again. "About midday tomorrow."

"Is he the only one coming?" Daniel queried.

John shook his head slowly. "Caleb and Joshua are about eight hours out. They should be here by ten."

"We aren't taking any chances on this one are we?" Dean queried softly.

"Not on your life. This guy, whomever he is, picked the wrong boy to screw with. He'd better hope the cops find him before we do 'cause he's not getting out of this alive if we find him first," John shot venomously.

Daniel and Dean nodded in agreement and the three men fell silent once again. Movement at the door pulled them from their musings and they turned their heads to acknowledge the petite nurse who stood with a warm smile on her face. The nurse stepped into the room and was immediately dwarfed when the three tall men stood. She looked up and squared her shoulders.

"Mr. Winchester?" the nurse queried.

"I'm John Winchester," John answered gruffly.

"My name is Madeline. I am your son's nurse for the night. I'm here to take you to him," the nurse said. "Please follow me."

The men followed the small brunette and boarded an elevator and were soon stepping out onto the fourth floor. Madeline led them down a long hall until they came to the ICU doors. They went through the doors and were led to Sam's private ICU room. Madeline paused at the door and turned to the Winchester men.

"I'm sure Dr. Heely explained to you that Sam is sedated and probably won't be awake for some time. He has an oxygen mask and is hooked up to several monitors. Don't get overwhelmed by everything. I'll explain anything you need me to," Madeline explained.

The three men nodded in response and waited for the nurse to lead them to Sam. Madeline slid the glass door open and allowed the men to file into the room. She shuffled around the hunters when they halted, their shocked eyes locked on the pale boy who lay on the bed.

Sam lay perfectly still, the gentle rise and fall of his chest his only movement. There were several wires running from under his hospital gown to the machines that stood next to his bed. Two IV lines ran into his hand, one delivering fluids and the other delivering pain medications and antibiotics. A blood pressure cuff was attached to his arm to measure his BP at regular intervals. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth. His head was turned slightly toward the door and the three men could plainly see the dark circles under his eyes.

Madeline stepped to Sam's bedside and gently adjusted his pillows. She smiled up at the hesitant men.

"You can come closer. I know he looks quite ill but I can tell he's a strong young man. He's going to pull through this and I promise I will take great care of him," Madeline said softly.

The hunters stepped up to the bed and gazed down at the unconscious teen. Tears welled in the three sets of eyes as they took in the sight of their youngest looking so helpless. John reached out and took Sam's limp hand into his, then looked up to the nurse.

"Thank you,' he whispered hoarsly.

Madeline made her way to the door and turned, sending one last look back at the heartbreaking scene. She smiled as she watched the three men encircle her young patient protectively. She could feel the love pouring from the men in waves and prayed that this story would have a happy ending.

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**So, Sam is still alive...very critical, but alive. The family has been reunited, even though Sam is completely out of it. Please let me know how that chapter went. I'll post another one later to make up for killing Sam's sweet Alisa**

**Cindy.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I've really caused a lot of emotions on this one! Boy, you guys rock! Here is the next chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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John sat rigidly next to Sam's bed, his eyes never straying from his youngest's face. He felt a sense of déjà vu, having been in an eerily similar situation just one year ago. He thought back on that time, sitting vigil by Sam's bedside as the boy fought a deadly infection after being attacked in his hospital room by the same man who had put him there to begin with. John shuddered when he recalled the words Sam had spoken when in the throes of his dangerously high fever.

"_Mom? Wait for me. Oh Mom…" he whispered, a slight smile on his face. He reached his hands out as if he were trying to touch someone in front of him. "I'm coming Mom."_

John shook himself from his thoughts. Those words had terrified him and still sent shivers down his spine. He had thought Sam was going to leave him when he spoke them. John then recalled the following day and what his baby had asked of him in a moment of lucidity.

"_Dad?"_

"_I'm here Sammy. We're all here. Do you need anything son?" John answered, his heart pounding in his chest._

"_Dad…I'm so tired," Sam whispered, tears beginning to fall from his tired, red eyes._

"_I know baby, I know. You're fighting so hard and we are all so proud of you Sammy."_

"_I…I need you…to let me go Daddy."_

_The men gasped in shock. Was Sam saying what they thought he was? John spoke softly, his voice shaking with emotion._

"_What do you mean Sam? What does that mean?" he asked fearfully._

"_I can't…do this…anymore. It hurts so much…and I…I'm just so tired."_

"_Sammy please, just fight a little longer. I know it hurts, but we're right here Sam. Please don't give up."_

"_Dad? Mom wants me to come…with her."_

John lowered his eyes as those words played through his mind. Sam had asked his family for permission to die, but they had refused him. Sam had drifted off after promising to fight and had nearly lost the battle, but in the end had rallied and had come back to his family. John had realized at that time just how strong his youngest son was. John glanced back up, a proud smile curling his lips. He knew Sam would come back to them again, just as he had done a year ago. He reached out and grasped Sam's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He brushed the bangs from Sam's eyes with his other hand before softly caressing his flushed cheek. He heard shuffling next to him and turned his head to look at his waking middle son.

Dean stretched, turning his head side to side to work the kinks out. He looked blearily at John then let his gaze drift to his baby brother. "How is he? Any change?" he asked hoarsely.

John shook his head. "No, he hasn't even moved," he said softly.

Dean reached out and squeezed John's forearm. "He's gonna be fine Dad. Dr. Heely said he'd be out for quite awhile."

"I know. It just reminds me too much of last year," John said.

"Yeah…but if anything, that should remind us how strong Sammy is. He's not gonna let this beat him," Dean said with admiration.

John nodded with a smile. He looked back to his youngest and leaned tiredly back in his chair.

"Dad…why don't you get some sleep. I can watch over him," Dean suggested.

John rubbed a shaky hand over his face. He turned bloodshot eyes back to Dean, then nodded. The two men stood to exchange seats. John paused, then leaned over and softly kissed Sam's forehead before inching past Dean. He slumped into the cushioned chair while Dean sat in the less comfortable one. John stretched his legs out and crossed his arms across his chest, then rested his chin on his chest. He smiled as he began to drift, listening as his middle son began to softly speak to his youngest. He fell asleep, content in the knowledge that his baby's safety was in Dean's capable hands.

Dean sank onto the chair his father had just vacated and immediately grasped Sam's forearm, squeezing gently. He scooted as close to the bed as his chair would allow and rested his arm on the edge of the mattress. He nestled his chin onto his arm, his face less than a foot from Sam's. He rubbed his hand up and down Sam's arm as he began to speak to the unconscious teen in a hushed tone.

"Hey Sammy…I know you've been through a lot tonight, but we would really like you to wake up now. The old man's freakin' me out. He's like gettin' all mushy and he's beginning to scare me," Dean whispered as he glanced sideways at his father, smirking when he saw John's lips curl into a small smile.

Dean turned back to Sam and absently pulled the blankets up on the boys chest. He sighed as he took in the pale face, Sam's dark lashes resting against flushed cheeks. Sam's temperature had risen over the past few hours, but hadn't reached a worrisome level yet. Dean continued to fiddle with Sam's blanket as he reined in his emotions. This hurt too much; reminded him too much of Phoenix and how Sam had been left after Michael Wilcox's attacks.

Dean sat up slightly and brought his left arm up then rested his cheek on his loose fist. His right hand smoothed the blanket then moved to grasp Sam's warm hand. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched Sam's lax face and how each exhale from his brother's mouth fogged up the oxygen mask that covered his nose and mouth. He thought of how devastated Sam would be when they told him about Alisa. His tears spilled over as that scene played through his mind. It was not a conversation he looked forward to having, but knew eventually it would have to be done.

"Sammy? I'm so sorry. I don't know how to protect you from that pain. I know you're gonna blame yourself for what happened and I don't know how I will be able to convince you that it's not your fault," Dean whispered as he let the tears fall.

"Oh God little brother. This is so screwed up. Why does this keep happening to you?" Dean cried softly as he let his left hand fall to brush his fingers through Sam's sweat dampened hair.

Dean glanced up when he felt eyes upon him and smiled sadly when he saw Daniel gazing wearily at him. Daniel sat across the bed from where John sat sleeping and the two brothers remained silent for a moment before Dean softly spoke.

"Hey…how long have you been awake?"

"Not long. How are you holding up?" Daniel answered, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine. I just…this sucks so bad," Dean replied, turning his gaze back to Sam as his fingers still absently played with his soft hair.

Daniel nodded and slowly stood up, stretching his tight, stiff muscles as he stepped closer to the bed. "It's gonna be okay Dean. Sam's gonna be okay," he said, gently taking Sam's left hand in his, careful to avoid the IV lines attached to it.

"I don't know Daniel. How can this ever be okay? First the crap with Michael Wilcox and now this? And Alisa…crap! I just don't know how any of this will be okay," Dean cried hoarsely.

"It's going to be hard Dean, but we'll make it okay. Sam needs us to make it okay and we will. There's just no other option," Daniel replied.

Dean nodded as he glanced at his watch. He sighed softly then looked back up to Daniel. "Hey Dan, what time is it? My watch stopped."

Daniel looked at his wrist then back to Dean. "It's quarter to six. Caleb and Joshua should be here in about four hours," he answered.

"The nurse should be coming in soon to check Sam's vitals. She's been in every hour," Dean said absently.

"So…a pretty nurse comes in and you're instantly awake?" Daniel teased lightly.

"Hey…it has nothing to do with the pretty nurse. It's Dad's questions every time she comes in that wakes me," Dean defended.

"Okay…okay. Calm down little brother. I was just teasing. Geez…sensitive much?" Daniel quipped.

Dean chuckled softly and went back to watching Sam. Daniel leaned over the side of the bed and whispered as he still held Sam's hand.

"Hey Sam, it's Danny. I'm gonna run and get your girlie brother and the rest of us some coffee. When I get back, I'd sure like to see those puppy dog eyes of yours. Think you can do that for your oldest and best looking brother?"

Dean scoffed and shook his head. Daniel rolled his eyes then leant in and softly kissed Sam's temple. He stood and headed for the door, turning back to Dean before slipping through the sliding door. "Watch over him little brother," he said softly.

"Always big brother. Always," Dean replied with a slight smile.

Daniel slid the glass door open and slipped around the curtain and through the door before sliding it closed once more. He walked slowly down the hall as his thoughts went over the recent events. He could see Sam in his minds eye, pale and silent as he fought to overcome the latest injuries that had been inflicted upon him. Daniel, overwhelmed with the enormity of it all, collapsed into the first seat he came to and buried his face in his hands. He couldn't stop the tears that welled in his eyes from falling so he made no attempt to do so.

Daniel thought of Dean, whom he knew harbored feelings of guilt for leaving Sam unprotected at Alisa's, even though Dad had wanted him right home to help with the weapons. Then there was his dad, whom he hadn't seen look so lost since last year in Phoenix. Somehow he had to hold them all together when he felt like falling apart himself. He prayed that Sam would wake soon. He knew once they saw those big, expressive hazel eyes they would be able to focus more easily. As long as Sam remained unconscious, it was easier to believe he could never wake up.

Daniel decided that Sam needed to wake up soon; Caleb, Joshua and Bobby needed to get their asses there and they all needed to find the bastard who hurt Sam and make him pay for what he had done. And he would pay. Daniel vowed that it would be very painful and very slow. He was tired of his baby brother being a target for all of the evil that had been visited upon him. Michael Wilcox, the yellow-eyed man and now this latest threat to his Sammy's safety. He was sick of it all. They'd already taken care of Michael Wilcox and next would be the prick who killed Alisa and stabbed Sam. Yellow-eyes would take longer, but they would defeat him too.

Daniel would do anything to keep his baby brother safe; to keep his entire family safe. He roughly wiped the tears from his face and stood, shoulders squared and chest out. He walked with confidence down the hall. He almost pitied the man they now hunted. The man didn't realize he'd signed his death warrant the second he dared to even lay eyes on Sam. Daniel was energized with thoughts of finding the man and making him answer to him for what he had done. He practically skipped down the hallway, his mind working overtime coming up with different ways to inflict pain on Sam's attacker.

So lost in his thought, Daniel didn't notice the tall, muscular dark haired man whom he passed in the hall. The man turned his head, his eyes watching the retreating form of the eldest Winchester brother. He smiled as he headed toward the ICU and the boy who had stolen everything from him. The boy who would soon pay for his sins.

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**Um...cliffie anyone? Please review.**

**Cindy.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I am soooooooooo sorry! I tried and tried to post this chapter earlier, but the Document Manager was down and wouldn't let me upload the chapter. I had planned on posting two chapters but have only just been able to get this one uploaded. I'll for sure post two tomorrow (depending on how the site is working!). Enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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Dean and Daniel stood back as they watched Jackie, Sam's daytime nurse, change Sam's pain medication from a continuous drip to a timed dosage. Jackie had explained to the brothers that Dr. Heely had ordered the change so that Sam could begin to wake up but still would be fairly comfortable. Once Jackie had finished she checked Sam's vitals then carefully adjusted his pillows. She turned her attention to the watchful siblings and smiled warmly.

"Okay, all done. Now…if Sam appears to be in a lot of pain and it isn't time for his next dose, you just push this red button and it will give him a half dose," Jackie explained as she showed the device to use for self dosing.

"Won't that be too much? Could he overdose?" Dean asked worriedly.

Jackie shook her head as she answered. "No…if you manually dose him, the next timed dose will adjust so that he doesn't get too much. If he only has five minutes or so, try to have him ride it out, but we don't want him in a lot of pain so just use your best judgement."

"Thanks Jackie. Is there anything else we should know?" Daniel queried as he moved beside Sam's bed.

"I think that's it for now. He should still be out for awhile until his med level evens out. Just let me know when he starts waking," Jackie answered before slipping from the room.

Dean took over the spot that Jackie vacated and stared down at his baby brother. It was killing him that Sam still wasn't awake but he also feared the time when Sam would wake. He knew that right now his brother wasn't in pain and would be when the drugs wore off enough to allow him to awaken. As much as Dean and the rest of the Winchesters wanted, no needed, to see Sam's eyes open, they needed him to not be in pain even more. Sam had known too much pain in his life, especially the past year and now he had to look forward to more. Dean absently brushed the hair from Sam's eyes as he continued to gaze at his pale, lax face.

Movement and lowered voices at the door brought Dean's and Daniel's attention away from Sam, if only momentarily. The two brothers glanced at the three men who quietly slipped into the room. John approached the bed followed by Caleb and Joshua. He looked longingly at his baby as his hand softly rested on Sam's blanket clad foot.

"I just filled Caleb and Joshua in on everything. Once Bobby gets here tomorrow, we hit this thing hard," John said as he moved around the bed to stand next to Dean.

Caleb moved to the end of the bed and smiled first at Dean, then at Daniel. "Dean, Daniel. It's good to see you again. I just wish it were under different circumstances," the hunter said as his eyes wandered to the youngest Winchester.

"Thanks for coming Caleb. You too Joshua," Daniel said as he turned to face the quiet hunter who stood beside him.

Joshua gazed at Sam, shaking his head sadly. The last time he'd seen the boy was when Sam was eleven. He certainly never thought the next time he would see any of the Winchesters would be in a hospital, standing next to the inquisitive boy's bedside. Joshua looked up when he felt eyes upon him and nodded slowly. He was a man of few words and rarely got close to people, but this family had managed to find a place in his heart. His blood boiled as he replayed John's explanation of Sam's attack in his head.

"So…when we find the prick who did this he dies, right? No pansy ass 'he's human so we can't kill him' crap. He dies, slow and painful," the infuriated hunter said.

John nodded as he glanced at his friend. "No way whomever did this lives, human or not."

Joshua smiled slightly as his gaze fell once more to Sam. "Good, 'cause no way does someone hurt my family and live."

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The man sat in his van, his eyes gazing up the side of the building trying to determine which window belonged to Sam. He had tried to get to the boy but his family guarded him like he was the freaking pope, and now two more men had shown up. He wasn't afraid of the men who guarded Sam. He was however frustrated that he would have to move more slowly and wait longer before he could exact his punishment. Sooner or later Sam's protectors would mess up and he would be there to snatch him away from them. If they didn't mess up, he would just have to make his own opportunity because either way, the boy was his.

The man picked up a thick manila envelope that sat next to him on the seat. He smiled coldly as he opened the door of his van and stepped from the vehicle. He strolled across the parking lot and entered the hospital then walked to the bank of elevators. He pushed the up button and waited for the lift to arrive. He had a delivery to make and soon the Winchesters and their friends would know just how serious of a situation they were up against. The elevator door opened and he laughed as he stepped inside and pushed the button that would take him to the fourth floor.

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The five men stood in a corner of the hospital room talking quietly amongst themselves. Daniel was only halfway listening as his main concern was watching Sam for any signs of pain or waking. Movement from the bed brought Daniel's attention one hundred percent to his baby brother and he dashed to the bed.

Sam's legs moved sluggishly beneath the covers as he moaned softly. His brow was creased and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. The other men joined Daniel as he reached for Sam's hand. He leaned over his brother, whispering softly in an attempt to comfort the obviously distressed teen. Sam's breathing came in quick pants, fogging his oxygen mask.

"Sammy…Sammy, it's okay. Open your eyes…please Sam. Open your eyes," Daniel pled as he gently squeezed Sam's hand.

John stood on the other side of the bed watching helplessly as his baby thrashed before him. John ran his fingers through Sam's hair hoping to ease his distress. Sam's eyes fluttered open and he gazed around fearfully, his eyes unfocused and pain filled. He emitted soft whimpers as he rolled his head from side to side on his pillow.

"Sammy…it's okay. You're safe…we won't let him hurt you again," Dean cried softly, tears trickling down his cheeks as he watched his brother's frantic movements.

"Dad…he's in pain. We have to do something!" Daniel cried, his eyes wide with worry.

"How long before his next dose?" John asked hurriedly, his fingers still massaging softly over Sam's scalp.

Daniel glanced at the dosage meter, sighing when he saw the time left before Sam's next dose would be administered. "It's twenty minutes Dad. We can't let him go that long!"

John fought with his emotions for a moment before coming to a decision. "Okay…as much as I want Sam awake, I definitely don't want him suffering. Give him a dose Daniel. This is too much."

Daniel grabbed the dosing device and pushed the button. He squeezed Sam's hand, his thumb rubbing gentle circles near his wrist. Sam's struggles slowly decreased and his eyes gradually closed, his breaths evening out. The five hunters all breathed sighs of relief when the boy appeared to once again be pain free and sleeping peacefully.

John hooked a near by chair with his foot and drug it to the bed, then sank onto it with a weary sigh. His fingers moved from Sam's hair to softly caress his cheek. John pulled back and dug in his pocket, pulling out a set of keys. He tossed the keys to Caleb who caught them easily.

"Here, you and Joshua go to the house and get some rest. There's food in the fridge you can help yourselves to. I'm not going anywhere tonight," John said as he turned his gaze to his youngest son. "Dean and Daniel…you should go too. Sleep in a real bed for a change."

"Nuh uh…I'm not going anywhere. Dean can go if he wants," Daniel said, still grasping Sam's hand.

Dean pulled up a chair and sat next to his father. Crossing his arms over his chest he glanced at Caleb and Joshua. "Looks like you two are on your own 'cause I ain't leaving here for nothin'."

"Okay…guess we'll head out then. Do you want us to bring you something to eat first?" Caleb inquired.

"No…we'll hit the vending machine later. Thanks Ca," Daniel answered.

As Caleb and Joshua turned to leave, the door slid open and Jackie walked into the room, a thick manila envelope in her hand. She smiled warmly and approached John, holding the envelope out in front of her.

"A gentleman dropped this off for you at the nurses station. He said he was a friend and knew he couldn't come in the room so he asked me to give it to you," the redheaded woman said.

John stood and took the envelope, warily looking it over. He glanced up at Daniel, who swallowed nervously.

"What did this man look like Jackie?" Daniel asked evenly.

"Uh…he was tall, dark hair. He was built pretty big," Jackie answered.

Without a seconds hesitation, Daniel sprinted from the room. Jackie turned confused eyes to John.

"That wasn't a friend Jackie. You just described the man who attacked Sam," John said. "Caleb, Joshua…"

"No need to say anything. We're on it Johnny," Joshua shot as he and Caleb hurried from the room.

Jackie's hand had flown to cover her mouth, her green eyes were wide with shock. Dean stood and walked to her, grabbing her arms gently.

"Jackie, call Detective Casey and have him get here as soon as possible. Can you do that for me?" Dean said as he handed her the detective's card.

Jackie took the card with shaky fingers as she nodded her head. She rushed from the room, leaving John and Dean to stare nervously at the envelope. Dean pulled Sam's tray table over the foot of the bed and John set the envelope down. He removed his pocketknife from his rear pocket and touching as little of the envelope as possible, he cut through the end. Pinching the corners at the other end, he lifted the envelope and shook the contents out onto the table. The men looked with wide eyes at the several photographs that spilled from the envelope.

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Daniel raced down the hall toward the elevators, praying he would catch the scumbag before he could board one of the lifts. He softly cursed when he saw one lift already descending down the floors. He dashed for the stairs rather than waiting for another elevator, taking the stairs three at a time in his mad rush to reach the ground floor. He burst through the door when he reached the bottom floor and screamed across the foyer when he saw a tall, dark haired man hurrying through the automatic doors. The man's head spun around and his eyes went wide when he spotted the enraged Winchester running toward him. The man picked up his pace and was soon out in the early evening air.

Daniel ran as fast as he could when he saw the man take off. He raced through the doors and out onto the walk, his head jerking from side to side as he searched furiously for the man. He just caught a flash of gray skirting around the corner of the building and took off in that direction. He was going to catch the son of a bitch and beat him to a bloody pulp. He rounded the corner and was met with a thick jungle of bushes and trees. Never slowing, he raced down the path and soon broke free from the jungle. The last thing he saw before his world went black were two large hands encircling what looked like a two by four and the two by four heading straight for his head.

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**There you go. I hope it was worth the extended wait. Please let me know.**

**Cindy.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I'm posting this chapter before I reply to my reviews. I don't want to tell everyone who commented that the next chapter will be right up, then not be able to post it like what happened last night. In this chapter we get a little more insight into just how jaded Sam's stalker is. I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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Joshua and Caleb burst through the hospital doors, their eyes instantly scanning the parking lot for any sign of Daniel or a tall, muscular dark haired man. Seeing neither, they ran down the sidewalk to check the east end of the building. When that search came up empty they headed to the west end and huffed with frustration when they were met with a thick tangle of bushes and trees. Drawing their weapons, they carefully made their way through the greenery.

The two hunters pulled up short when they emerged on the other side of the foliage and their eyes fell upon the limp, bloodied form of a man lying on the path.

"Daniel!" Caleb shouted as the two hunters ran toward their fallen comrade.

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John reached shaky fingers out and picked up the first photograph. It was a picture of Sam coming out of the convenience store three blocks away from their house. John turned the picture over and blanched at the caption written on the back. _**'I almost took him this time'** _was written in block letters. John handed the picture to Dean who actually whimpered when he read the back.

John and Dean went through each photo, flipping each over and reading the caption, their fury growing with each new revelation. There was one of Sam leaving his high school to begin his long walk home. One as he stood amongst a group of friends, a huge grin plastered on his face. Another was of Sam sitting on the front porch reading a book, and yet another was Sam through his bedroom window, the caption on that reading **_'Only a pane of glass to protect him'_**. There were dozens of photo's but when John got to the last two, his blood ran cold.

The first photo was of Sam and Alisa sitting on swings, kissing. On the back it read **_'Tonight's the night'_**. The next nearly made John lose it completely. Sam was lying on the grass with two young men kneeled beside him. Alisa could be seen to the side with another man next to her. The knife was clearly visible protruding from Sam's stomach, his bloody fingers wrapped around the hilt. John turned the photo over with trembling fingers, his face losing all color when he read the words written there. **_'Got him!'_** screamed at him from the photo's back and he let the photo drop from his fingers where it landed face up on the floor.

John's knees buckled and if it hadn't been for Dean reaching out to grab his arm, he would have joined the photo on the floor. Dean helped John to sit then reached down and retrieved the fallen photograph. He gazed at the image, his eyes filling with rage when he read the back. He turned his eyes to John who was staring up at him in complete shock.

"What the hell Dean? What does he want with Sammy?" the older hunter asked warily.

"I don't know Dad, but he's not gonna get it, whatever it is. Like Joshua said, it doesn't matter if he's human or not, he dies. Hell, Daniel probably already has him salted and burned by now."

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Caleb knelt beside Daniel as Joshua ran further along the hospital building looking for the man he planned to shred with his bare hands. Daniel moaned as he started to come to, his hands automatically reaching up to finger his swollen, bloodied cheek. Caleb gently pushed his had away so he could check the damage. Daniel's eyes popped open and he jerked away from Caleb before recognition lit in his eyes and he quickly relaxed.

"H-Help me up Caleb," Daniel rasped as he shakily tried to sit up.

Caleb shoved his arm under the younger man's shoulders and helped him into a seated position. He looked to his left as Joshua trotted back and nodded as Joshua dropped down on the other side of Daniel.

"Hey…you okay kiddo?" Joshua inquired as he surveyed the young man for injuries.

"Head hurts…'m not a kid…" Daniel replied with a snort.

"You are to me," Joshua quipped.

"Do you think you can stand Danny boy?" Caleb questioned, his voice filled with concern.

"Yeah…think so. Help me…" Daniel answered shakily.

The two older hunters helped the younger man to his feet, steadying him as he wavered slightly. Once Daniel recovered they helped him down the path and through the thick cover of trees and bushes. They slowly made their way to the hospital entrance and gently guided Daniel inside.

"We need to have someone look at that cheek Daniel. Probably your head too," Joshua stated.

"N-no. Just take me back to Sam," Daniel argued as he tried to pull away from his friends.

"Hey…calm down buddy. We just want to make sure nothing got knocked loose in that tiny head of yours," Caleb said.

"I need to check on m-my brother. Dr. Heely can check me there but I'm going to see Sam," Daniel shot angrily.

"Okay…fine, but the doc checks you over you stubborn ass of a Winchester," Joshua said with a chuckle.

Daniel nodded and the three men made their way to the elevators, ignoring the curious looks they received. Once on the fourth floor, they headed to the ICU and Sam's room. When they passed the ICU nurses station, they heard a gasp and pulled up when Jackie appeared in front of them.

"Oh my God! He needs to see a doctor!" the nurse exclaimed as she gently fingered Daniel's cheek.

"Yeah…we know, but he refused to go anywhere but back to Sam's room. Can you page Dr. Heely? He can check the kid out in the room," Caleb requested.

"Uh…yeah. I'll page him right away," Jackie answered as she quickly skirted around the nurses counter.

"Thanks Jackie," Joshua called.

The three men started moving again and soon were at Sam's door. They slipped through the door and were instantly bombarded with questions.

"Did you catch the son of a bitch? Is he still breathing? Wh…Daniel! What the hell?" Dean cried, racing to his brother.

John stood and hurried to his son. Daniel soon found himself surrounded by very concerned hunters.

"Get off me! Shit…I can't breathe! I'm fine…" Daniel cried as he pushed the men away. "I just need to sit down."

Dean grasped Daniel's arm and began to lead him to a chair in the corner, but Daniel pulled back and shook his head.

"No. Over there…near Sammy," Daniel commanded.

Dean rolled his eyes, but did as he was instructed and soon Daniel was perched next to Sam's bed, his eyes intently gazing at his baby brother's face.

"I'm sorry Sammy. I messed up and let him get away. I promise I won't let him near you. I won't mess up again," Daniel whispered.

"Dan, you didn't let him get away dude. Don't blame yourself," Dean said as he squeezed Daniel's shoulder.

"I had him Dean. I had him and I let him get the drop on me. I just wanted to get him so badly. I ran blindly right into a trap!" Daniel cried despairingly.

"Daniel, I think we all lose a bit of our objectivity when it comes to Sammy. It's not your fault," John said reassuringly.

Daniel nodded but still didn't look convinced. He looked toward the door when Dr. Heely walked in. He leaned tiredly back in the chair, reaching up and fingering his aching cheek absently.

"I was paged…told someone got hurt?" the doctor stated.

"It's Daniel, doc," Caleb said, stepping aside to allow the man to pass.

"Well…let me take a look then," Dr. Heely said as he stepped up to Daniel's side.

Dr. Heely gently prodded Daniel's cheek then checked his pupils. "Your pupils look fine and I don't feel anything to indicate your cheekbone is broken. How's your head? Do you have a headache?" he asked.

"It's not bad. My cheek hurts more than anything," Daniel replied.

"Well, I don't think you have a concussion. I'll need to take you to get your cheek sutured, but I think you lucked out young man. What happened anyway?" the doctor inquired.

"Can you just sew me up here? I don't want to leave Sam. Please doc?" Daniel pled.

Dr. Heely smiled as he shook his head. "I'll get Jackie to bring in the supplies. In the meantime, can someone tell me what happened?"

Once Dr. Heely spoke with Jackie and returned to the room, Daniel filled him in on what had happened. When he was finished, Dr. Heely shook his head angrily.

"So, the monster who did this is stalking Sam? Why?" he asked.

"We don't know, but he left us a gift," Dean said, indicating the pile of photographs.

Daniel stood quickly, reaching out to grab the chairback when the movement made him dizzy. Dr. Heely pushed him back onto the chair and held his shoulder firmly.

"You stay seated young man. You may not have a concussion, but you still got hit pretty hard.

Daniel huffed with frustration as he stared intently at John. "What photos Dad?"

"The envelope he left. There's dozens of pictures of Sam. He's letting us know how close he's been. It looks like he's been following Sam for months," John said wearily.

"But why? Who is he? What does he want with Sam?" Daniel queried nervously.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," John answered evenly.

Daniel looked up to see Jackie enter the room with a suture kit. Following closely behind her was Detective Casey. Dr. Heely glanced around, shaking his head.

"It's definitely getting a bit crowded in here," he commented.

"That it is doc. Caleb and Joshua, I think you both need to go get some rest," John started, stopping the men before they had the chance to object. "The boys and I won't be leaving here. Once Bobby shows up tomorrow we'll stake the hospital out and catch this creep if he tries to get near Sam again," John said.

"Isn't that a job for the police Mr. Winchester?" Detective Casey queried.

Caleb snorted as he and Joshua made their way out of the room. John glanced at the detective and sighed.

"No offense Detective Casey, but I don't trust anyone but my family to protect my boy," John said.

"So, why did you have me called?" the detective queried.

"Well, Sam wasn't the only victim for one. The Chambers' are expecting the police to find their daughter's killer. The killer was here. He left us a little gift and he hurt my oldest son," John replied.

"How do you know the killer was here? What was left for you?"

"An envelope filled with photo's. Photo's of Sam from the past several months. Each one has a little note written on the back."

Detective Casey stepped up to the table and began to peer at the pictures. Daniel tried getting a glimpse, but Dr. Heely blocked his view as he sutured his cheek. The second the doctor finished, Daniel was up and at the table, looking at the images of his baby brother. Pictures taken by a madman. His fear grew with each photo. He nearly lost his lunch when the detective handed him the final picture of Sam lying in the grass at the park.

Dr. Heely and Jackie had thankfully left the room so the men were able to discuss the photo's and case freely.

"So basically, this wasn't just a random act of violence. Sam and Alisa Chambers were followed to the park and attacked," Detective Casey stated.

"Yep. The question is why? Why is this man after my son? Why has he been stalking him and why did he try to kill him?" John queried.

Dean shook his head from where he had seated himself near Sam's head. Daniel had moved to sit opposite Dean, his legs feeling too weak to hold him up. Both men stared at the two older men but a soft moan from their brother brought their attention back to Sam.

Sam continued to moan softly as his eyelids slowly opened to reveal two very tired and unfocused hazel eyes. Sam turned his head in Dean's direction as Dean gently grasped his hand.

"Hey kiddo. That's it Sammy…focus on me," Dean said softly, feeling John move up beside him. "You're safe Sam, no one's gonna hurt you," he continued as Sam seemed to become agitated.

The youngest Winchester reached his other hand up and weakly tried to remove the oxygen mask from his face. Daniel took his hand and gently pulled it away. Sam turned his head toward Daniel, who smiled warmly at his little brother.

"Hey Sam…you need to leave that mask on," the eldest sibling said. "You need a little help with your breathing right now."

Sam gazed up with bleary eyes and Daniel smiled when he saw the recognition there.

"Dn'l?" Sam whispered, the sound barely audible through the mask.

"Yeah Sammy. I'm here. So's Dad and Dean," Daniel said softly.

Tears suddenly welled in Sam's tired eyes before they spilled down his flushed cheeks. He turned his head and gazed first at Dean, then at John.

"D-Dad?" he rasped, his teary eyes breaking his family's hearts.

"Yes Sammy. What do you need?" John asked gently.

Sam managed to pull his hand free from Dean and then pulled the mask from his face. He swallowed before he whispered the words that brought the men to tears.

"It h-hurts, Dad. Oh G-God, it hurts."

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**Well, that's it for now. I will post another chapter later tonight. Reviews are like fluffy little puppies, they fill my heart with joy!!!! LOL**

**Cindy.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here is the next chapter for you all. It gets a bit wild so be prepared. I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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_"It h-hurts Dad. Oh G-God, it hurts."_

John leaned over and took Sam's face gently his hands. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he gazed into the pain-filled eyes of his youngest son.

"Oh Sammy. I know it hurts baby…I know it does," John said softly.

"Dad…" Sam whispered before squeezing his eyes shut as white hot pain sliced through his abdomen.

"What is it Sam? Sammy?" John asked urgently.

Sam panted through the pain, sweat beading on his forehead. As the pain ebbed, he slowly opened his eyes. John's worried eyes gazed intently at him, his thumb gently caressing Sam's cheek.

"N-not a b-baby Dad…" Sam said breathlessly.

John chuckled as he lowered his forehead to his son's. He could hear relief in his older son's chuckles; relief at hearing some of the Sam they knew coming out through his pain.

"I know you're not a baby Sam, but you are _my_ baby," John said softly.

Sam smiled slightly, his eyes moving to fall upon the worried face of his older brother. "D-don't worry D-Dean. 'M okay. M-may be d-down, b-but not out," Sam gasped, his breaths coming in quick pants.

"Hey squirt, let's put your oxygen mask back on so you can breathe a little easier," Dean said as he moved the mask back over Sam's face, a sad smile on his lips.

Sam rolled his glassy eyes then jerked slightly when he saw the unknown man who stood at the foot of his bed. Seeing Sam's confusion and fear, Daniel placed his hand reassuringly on Sam's shoulder.

"This is Detective Casey Sam. He's investigating your attack," Daniel explained.

Sam's eyes remained locked on the detective as the man rounded the bed to stand next to Daniel. The man had a gentle smile and kind eyes, but in those eyes you could see that they had witnessed far too many terrible things. Before the detective could speak his first word John interrupted causing the man to pause and turn his attention away from Sam.

"Uh…Dean, why don't you go see if you can round up Dr. Heely. He'll probably want to know that Sam's awake," John instructed his middle son.

"Yeah, sure thing Dad," Dean replied obediently. He gave his baby brother a smile as he headed out of the room.

John turned his attention to Daniel next. "Dan, keep an eye on Sam for a minute. I need to talk to Detective Casey…" he said, motioning for the detective to follow him out of the room.

Sam followed the two men with his eyes, reasoning that something was going on but his fuzzy mind wouldn't allow him to piece together any logical thoughts. He turned his eyes to his oldest brother while once again pulling the oxygen mask from his face.

"D-Daniel? What's g-going on? Y-you guys are h-hiding something from m-me. Please t-tell me…" Sam whispered, his teary eyes pleading with his big brother.

"Sam…we aren't hiding anything. We're just worried about you. You've been through a lot…you're seriously hurt…" Daniel explained, his heart breaking for the lie he was telling.

"'M n-not s-stupid…Dan. N-not h-helpless…either. Just…just t-tell me what's…g-going on…" Sam cried breathlessly.

"Sam…come on, you're getting all worked up. The doc says you could hurt yourself more if you get stressed. Please…calm down."

"Th-then stop lying to m-me…ahhhhhh!" Sam screamed with pain, his arm wrapping around his mid-section. His legs move spastically beneath the covers as he tried to breathe through the pain. Tears leaked from his tightly shut eyes, and soft mewling sounds emitted from his tight, pale lips.

Daniel jerked his head to the heart monitor as it beeped wildly, signaling Sam's increasing distress. He quickly pushed the oxygen mask back over Sam's nose and mouth then began to whisper as evenly as he could in an attempt to comfort and calm his distraught brother.

"Shhh…Sam, it's okay. Just breathe…calm down. Please Sammy…please…" Daniel urged, his hand brushing lightly through Sam's sweat soaked hair.

"M-make it s-stop Danny…p-please…make it stop…argh!!!!!!" Sam cried through clenched teeth, the words muffled by the oxygen mask.

Tears spilled from Daniels eyes as Sam's body suddenly arched off the bed. He grabbed Sam's shoulders as his baby brother's body began to shake violently. Sam's eyes rolled back in his head and his hands clenched tightly around the bed railings as his body continued to convulse. The oxygen mask was somehow dislodged from Sam's face and Daniel's eyes widened as pink tinged foam bubbled from Sam's lips, the eldest Winchester sibling losing all traces of sanity at the sight.

"Son of a bitch! DAD!!! Dad…get in here…Dad…oh God…DAD!!!!!"

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John turned to Detective Casey as soon as they slipped into the hall, softly sliding the glass door until it was a mere inch from the doorframe. He stood silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Detective Casey, I know you want to question Sam, but I don't know if that's a good idea yet," John started, his dark eyes staring intently at the lawman.

"Mr. Winchester…"

"John…please, call me John."

"Okay…John. I just need to ask a few questions. I need to find out what Sam remembers about the attack. I promise to keep it brief…" the detective explained.

"Well…we'll see what the doctor says. One thing…you can't say anything about Alisa Chambers. Dr. Heely doesn't want Sam told yet. He doesn't want Sam stressed out. He and Alisa were very close and I'm sure you can appreciate what hearing about her death will do to him," John stated firmly.

"Of course John. I won't say anything that might upset Sam. I…"

Both men were ripped from their conversation and were scrambling to open the door when Daniel's scream tore through the inch wide opening between door and doorframe. They ran into the room and stopped short when they saw Daniel holding down a convulsing Sam.

"Sammy!" John cried as he ran to the other side of the bed.

Detective Casey ran for the door and began screaming for help as the two Winchester men tried valiantly to restrain Sam's jerking body. John stared in horror as the dark pink froth continued to spew from Sam's mouth. Both men cringed at the inhuman sound that rumbled from Sam's throat and in the backround the incessant beeping of the heart monitor served as a gage as to just how serious the situation was.

A sudden bustling from the door tore John's attention from Sam's red, tortured face. Dr. Heely, followed by a shocked and terrified Dean ran to the bed. Nurse Jackie scrambled into the room then rushed to the bed opposite Dr. Heely.

"What the hell happened!?" Dean cried frantically.

"Not now Dean…" John shot, his eyes never leaving his baby's face.

"Jackie, give Sam a dose of his pain medication. We need to ease his pain so he can calm down," Dr. Heely instructed calmly.

Jackie pushed the med button and all eyes watched anxiously for Sam's convulsions to cease. Daniel continued to hold tightly to Sam's shoulders as the teen slowly began to relax. As quickly as the convulsions had started they ceased and Sam's exhausted body collapsed limply onto the mattress. Daniel eased his hands from Sam's shoulders then reached for the washcloth that lay on the nightstand. He gently cleaned the bloody froth from Sam's mouth, chin and throat then once again placed the oxygen mask over his face. He collapsed onto the chair he had been seated on before as he absently massaged his throbbing temples.

Dean's shocked voice broke the relative silence of the room, the only other sound being the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor.

"What the h-hell just happened?" he asked slowly.

"Sam just had a seizure most likely brought on by a sudden increase in either his blood pressure or temperature. What was going on in here before this happened?" the doctor inquired.

All eyes turned to Daniel as he began to softly speak. "He uh…he know's something's going on. He knows we're hiding something from him and he wanted to know what it was. I…I tried to tell him we weren't…lying to him, but he's not stupid. He started getting upset, then he just started shaking and…and the foam…it was bloody…" Daniel halted as he brought a shaky hand to his mouth.

"It's okay Daniel. These convulsions can be quite frightening, but they are usually harmless. Sam most likely bit his cheek or tongue and that's why the foam from his mouth was bloody," Dr. Heely explained.

"But he'll be okay? I mean…that was…God…that was…" Dean stuttered fearfully.

"Well, I'll need to do a scan to make sure he didn't break anything open, but in general the convulsions themselves aren't dangerous. It's the reason behind them that is of concern," the doctor replied.

"Which brings us back to the problem at hand," John's gruff voice sounded. "Sam knows something's not right. How long before you think he figures it out? My son is very smart Dr. Heely. A genius in fact. He's going to figure it out sooner or later."

"Then I suggest you start thinking, because he cannot be told yet. How do you think his body will react if he knows the truth? It could be very detrimental to his recovery," the doctor stated.

Daniel sagged in his chair, his heart finally starting to beat at a normal rate. His gaze never left Sam's pale, sweaty face. He never wanted to see his brother like that again. Never again.

"We'll think of something. We can't let what just happened happen again. We'll deal with the consequences later," Daniel said softly.

"Well good then. I'll go get Sam set up for a scan and we'll just make sure everything is okay in there," Dr. Heely said.

The doctor left the room followed by Jackie, once again leaving the Winchester men and Detective Casey alone. The detective watched with admiration as the three men encircled the bed of their youngest family member protectively. He could feel the love they had for the boy rolling off them in waves and stood back in awe as he witnessed the fierce devotion shown to the unconscious teen.

Detective Casey's eyes moved back to the pile of photo's and the envelope they came in. Taking a pair of thin gloves from his pocket, he quickly slipped them on and gingerly lifted the envelope by one corner. He turned the envelope, noting the lack of writing on either side. Just as he was about to set the envelope down, he noticed something barely sticking out of the opened end. He reached with care and pulled at the corner of the item and a single sheet of notebook paper was revealed.

The paper had writing on it and the detective scanned over the words before lifting his eyes to first the watchful men standing around the bed, then to the unconscious boy who lay there, oblivious to the worried stares of his family.

"Uh…John," the detective said, his eyes lifting to the oldest Winchester.

"Huh? What is it detective?" John queried softly.

"There's a note. It came out of the envelope. You might want to read it," Detective Casey answered.

John rushed to the end of the bed followed closely by Dean. Daniel scrambled up behind them as John reached for the note, careful to grab the corners so as not to destroy any prints that may have been left. Dean and Daniel read over his shoulders, and all three men felt like they had been punched in the guts at the words that taunted them from the page.

_Greetings Winchesters_

_By now you've come to realize just what I can do and how helpless you are to stop me. So many times I could have taken your precious Sammy, but the time was never right. I was right outside his hospital room and you never even knew it._

_The night in the park I intended to kill the boy. How dare he laugh and smile and be happy after all he took from me. I am glad however that he survived because I have decided that I want so much more than just his death. I want him to feel my pain and I want you to feel his. I want him to suffer as I have suffered, and I want you to suffer as he does._

_Sam belongs to me now, not you. I inherited him and I will take him from you. Soon he will be mine and he will beg me to end his sad, pathetic life. Just know this-you can't protect him, you can't save him and you can't keep him. He is mine to take; he is mine to hurt; he is mine to destroy._

_T.W._

John let the note drop to the table and turned to his sons, the fear and rage he felt mirrored on their faces. They all turned to Detective Casey when he began to speak.

"John…who is this T.W.? What did Sam take from him? Do you have any idea who this could be?"

"Uh…T.W. It…it has to be Wilcox. I just don't know…I…" John stammered as he slowly walked over to once again stand beside Sam's bed. "He can't go through this again…he can't…I can't…"

"Go through what John? Who is Wilcox? What the hell is going on?" Detective Casey queried.

Dean watched as both his father and Daniel stood vigil by Sam. When neither spoke, he turned to the detective and began to speak.

"A year ago Sam was abducted near Phoenix by a man named Michael Wilcox. As it turned out, Wilcox was wanted in several states on suspicion of kidnapping, raping and murdering several teenaged boys. Sam managed to incapacitate Wilcox, but the car they were in crashed and Sam was seriously injured," Dean explained before pausing to gather his thoughts and emotions.

"What happened to Wilcox?"

"He had severe head injuries. He was in a coma and then he died. Only later, Sam was attacked in his hospital bed and tortured. We nearly lost him, but he pulled through and we took him to someplace we thought he would be safe."

"But he wasn't?"

"No…he…he was kidnapped again. We were able to track him to a cabin near Prescott, but by the time we got there, whomever took Sam was gone. The bastard had tortured him; nearly killed him and uh…Sam was…he was almost raped."

Detective Casey shook his head, eyes filled with sympathy. He gazed sadly at the boy in the bed, then turned back to Dean.

"What happened? How did Sam…how did he survive? How did he stop…"

"Sam fought back. He wounded the guy and I guess he took off. When we reached the cabin, Sam was alone and beat to hell. He was stabbed in the thigh…he'd lost a lot of blood."

"Was he able to describe the man?"

"No…he just blocked it out. The only thing he said was that he stabbed him in the chest."

"So…could this be our guy?"

"I don't know. The initials are T.W. It could be a brother maybe."

"Or a son…the note said he inherited Sam," Detective Casey pointed out.

"It doesn't make any sense though. His family wouldn't even come see him, and when he died they chose not to collect his body," Dean said softly.

The detective was about to ask more questions when a soft moan sounded from the boy on the bed. Dean rushed to the bed and watched with his father and brother as Sam slowly woke up. Confused, bloodshot eyes shot around the room until they finally rested on Dean's concerned face.

"Hey kiddo…how ya feeling? You scared us pretty bad there ya know," Dean said.

"Wh-what happened?" Sam whispered through the oxygen mask.

"You had a seizure Sammy. Got yourself all worked up…" Daniel answered.

Sam's eyes widened at that and he swallowed heavily. He turned his eyes to John and from out of the blue he asked the question they had all been dreading.

"D-Dad? Where's Alisa?"

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**Uh-oh. They knew that was coming. Wonder what they'll do. More coming tomorrow. Take care all and have a good night.**

**Cindy.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay guys, this chapter has a HUGE tissue alert. I was bawling while proofreading, and I've read it a thousand times! What a sap! LOL It's a necassary chapter I think, so just be prepared. Thanks for reading.**

**Cindy.**

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"D-Dad…where's Alisa?" Sam's soft, tired voice queried.

"Uh…she…she can't be here right now son. They only let family in the ICU. That means just me, your brothers and your uncles are allowed," John answered, his voice trembling.

"Oh…uh…h-has she asked about me?" Sam's wide, weary eyes gazed intently at John and the man's heart ached with sadness.

"Oh Sammy, you know she'd be here if she could be. You know she's worried about you," Dean said when John's voice deserted him.

"She wouldn't go at first…" Sam started, his words slurring slightly.

"What? What do you mean Sam?" Detective Casey asked as he moved closer to the bed.

"Wh-when the man grabbed me…I-I told her to run…to get help. She wouldn't leave me at first," Sam answered weakly.

"Did the man say anything to you Sam?" the detective queried.

"Uh…he…he said I had to pay f-for my sins. He…he knew my name Dad," Sam said softly.

The four men glanced at each other, worry and concern etching lines in their faces.

"Sam? Could you…" Detective Casey started, but was cut off when Sam's soft voice started again.

"He looked…familiar Dad," Sam whispered.

"How so Sammy? Who did he look like son?" John queried as the other men moved even closer to the bed, their eyes locked intently on the pale, weak boy.

"I…I don't know. H-he looked…he looked like a young…um…like Michael Wilcox," Sam said, his voice trembling with pain and fear.

"Sammy…are you sure? Michael Wilcox is dead," Daniel asked warily.

"Y-you don't think he…uh…could he have c-come back again?" Sam whispered as his eyes began to suddenly droop.

"No kiddo…he's dead and he's never coming back," Dean said as he reached up to brush hair from Sam's eyes.

Sam opened his eyes wide and stared at his brother, a small smile gracing his lips. "P-promise?" he asked softly.

Dean swallowed back the lump in his throat and willed the tears that were threatening to make an appearance to go away. He leaned over his baby brother until their foreheads nearly touched and he smiled reassuringly. "I promise Sam. He will never hurt you again. You made sure of that little brother."

"B-but," Sam whispered tiredly. "You g-guys killed h-him the s-second time, right?"

The three Winchesters flinched and all turned wary eyes onto the confused face of Detective Casey.

"What does he mean the second time?" the detective asked.

John shrugged lightly and turned his eyes back to Sam. "Must be the exhaustion and drugs talking," he explained.

The detective nodded and glanced once more at Sam, whose eyes gazed sadly at his father. Tears began to slowly spill from Sam's eyes, leaving glistening trails on his flushed cheeks.

"D-dad?" Sam queried softly.

"Yeah Sammy? What do you need?" John said, grasping Sam's hand gently as the boy tried to remove his mask.

"Do you think Alisa still…uh…do y-you think she still l-loves me? 'Cause…I l-love her so much and…and I don't know wh-what I'd do if…if she didn't love me anymore," Sam whispered sadly, his lids becoming heavy again.

John looked stricken and gazed at his older son's with panic in his eyes. The young men were at a loss too, and John took a moment before answering.

"Dad?" came Sam's weak voice again.

"She still loves you Sam. How could she not? Don't you worry about that Sam…she loves you more than you could ever imagine," John said with certainty.

Sam smiled softly, the tears spilling with more fervor now. "G-good. Dad?"

"Yes Sam?"

"Alisa and I…we…well…we made love. It was my first time…" Sam whispered, his cheeks flushing further, his glassy eyes staring straight into John's soul.

"What? Why didn't you tell me this before Sammy?" John asked softly.

"D-didn't want you to get m-mad at me. But…I wanted to t-tell you in case…well…you k-know…in case I don't…" Sam said weakly.

John squeezed Sam's hand and shook his head. "You're going to be okay Sam. Don't talk like that, you hear me. You're going to be fine," he said firmly, his eyes dark.

"I just…it hurts so much Dad and I feel…this time I m-might not…" Sam replied, his weak voice trailing off as his heavy lids closed, exhaustion pulling him into the waiting darkness.

John stared in shock at his now sleeping son. He shook his head again as he whispered, "No Sammy, you aren't leaving us. We won't let you."

John looked up, first at Daniel then at Dean. Their eyes shone with unshed tears, as did his own. He reached his foot out and snaked the chair that stood back from the bed. Once the chair was next to him, he sank heavily onto it then rested his forehead on the limp hand he held in his bigger one. He listened as both Dean and Daniel did the same, and it was then that he allowed the tears to fall.

Detective Casey lowered his eyes, his own emotions getting the better of him. He silently walked to the cupboard by the door and found a plastic belongings bag. He went back to the table and carefully placed the envelope, note and photos inside of it. He pulled the drawstring and quietly made his way out of the room, leaving the Winchesters to keep vigilant watch over their beloved Sam.

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**Two Days Later**

Dean paced the floor near the foot of Sam's bed, his eyes moving to his sleeping brother as he watched for signs that he would awaken. Sam had been moved to his own private room on the Surgical floor early that morning after yet another scan showed that his internal injuries were healing well. The oxygen mask had been replaced with a nasal canula, much to his family's relief. He was still in a great deal of pain and thus was still on a scheduled regimen of pain medication. Sam refused to self medicate in between the scheduled doses regardless of how much pain he was in, so his family had taken it upon themselves to watch him for distress and would push the button if they felt he needed it. Sam was not happy about that, but nobody wanted a repeat of the seizures Sam had endeared just days before.

Dean halfway hoped that Sam wouldn't wake up until John and Daniel arrived back at the hospital. He didn't want to have to lie once more to his little brother as had become the norm practically every time Sam was awake. Sam desperately wanted to see Alisa and couldn't understand why she hadn't tried to see him yet. Dr. Heely continued to be concerned about what affect the news of Alisa's death would have on Sam's recovery, but the Winchesters were very close to telling Sam the truth. It killed them to see the disappointment and sadness in Sam's eyes each time he woke up to discover that the girl he loved still hadn't called or come to see him.

After about the hundredth lap across the room, a gruff voice brought Dean's pacing to a halt.

"Damn boy…I'm gonna get motion sickness watching you pacing back and forth like that!" Bobby spat from his seat to the right of Sam's bed.

"Shhh Bobby…I don't want Sam to wake up," Dean said quietly, his green eyes searching Sam's face for the tell tale signs he was waking.

Bobby stood and stretched before walking to the younger hunter. "Well hell Dean, if the boy wakes up, he wakes up. You usually want him awake."

"I really don't want to try and explain where Dad and Daniel are. All three of us have been here each time the kid's woken up. What do I tell him when he asks why they aren't here?" Dean asked warily.

"Have you guys considered telling him the truth?" Bobby asked.

"I want to Bobby. I hate lying to him. He's going to be so devastated when he finally finds out," Dean said softly, his concerned eyes resting once more on Sam's peaceful face.

"Well personally, I think he should have been told straight up, but I wasn't here at the beginning of all this," Bobby said.

"Shit Bobby, this is so messed up! What if this really is a relative of Michael Wilcox? Sam can't go through that again…"

"None of us will be in good shape if it is, but we'll deal with it Dean. That boy will be well protected. No one's getting to him like last time," Bobby said with conviction.

"Yeah…So uh, what have Caleb and Joshua found out? Anything?" Dean asked, feeling a little lost as he and his father and brother had been at the hospital constantly while their friends had been researching the Wilcox family. John had tried to help with the research at the beginning but couldn't seem to keep his mind on anything but his youngest son, so he had left his friends to find the information they needed.

"They're working on it Dean. We'll know something as soon as they do," Bobby answered.

"Well, I hope it's soon because I want to hunt this son of a bitch down and rip him apart for what he's done," Dean hissed.

Bobby nodded and both men turned their attention back to Sam. Bobby returned to his seat and Dean pulled up a chair opposite Bobby. The room fell into a somewhat comfortable silence, the only sound being the soft beep of the heart monitor.

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**Holy Cross Cemetary**

John and Daniel stood side by side, their suits pressed enough so they didn't look completely rumpled and out of place. They stood amongst the throng of mourners as the priest's soft, comforting voice carried through the early afternoon breeze, reciting Psalm 23 as soft sniffling noises sounded around them.

_"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want._

_He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters._

_He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake._

_Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me._

_Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over._

_Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."_

The priest went on to recite from the Bible John 11:25-26.

_"Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he dies, yet he will live, and whoever believes in Me shall never die."_

John and Daniel listened sadly as the priest spoke of Alisa's short but happy life and all of the joy she brought to those who knew her. Sobs could be heard, but also laughter as moments from Alisa's life were remembered. Finally, the priest came to the committal part of the ceremony. As he sprinkled holy water over the ornate white casket, he spoke softly,

_"We commit Alisa Emily Chambers' body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes; dust to dust."_

The casket was slowly lowered into the ground while Alisa's parents and brother sat vigil, their arms wrapped around each other in their shared sorrow. The crowd began to disperse, a multitude of teenagers, obviously classmates of Sam and Alisa, huddled together as they shuffled away. John and Daniel stood back, solemnly watching the Chambers family as they stared at the hole that their beloved Alisa had been rested in. Phillip Chambers stood and gently pulled his wife to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her waist, then looked down with concern at his son.

John and Daniel wearily approached the grief stricken family, smiling sadly when Elaine Chambers lifted her tear filled eyes to them.

"Elaine, Phillip…we are so sorry. I…I just don't know what I can even say to you…" John said, his voice trembling with grief for the people before him.

Elaine smiled softly then glanced down to the pink sweater she clutched in her hands. Her voice was a mere whisper when she spoke.

"She was wearing this sweater that night. I…I'm sure Sam made her put it on. She was always forgetting to put on a sweater or jacket, even though she always got chilled…"

"I wish I could change what happened Mrs. Chambers…Mr. Chambers. I wish we could bring her back to you…" Daniel said softly.

"Yeah? Well you can't! My sister's dead and no one can change that! Why do you get to keep Sam when we lost Alisa!?" Alex Chambers cried as he jerked to his feet.

"Alex…don't…" Phillip said softly.

"No Dad! Alisa's gone! Why didn't Sam protect her? Why didn't he save her?" Alex spat, grief and despair washing over his handsome features.

"Alex…we're so sorry. I'm sure Sam tried…" John started, his voice apologetic.

"No Mr. Winchester…I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I…I just want my little sister back. I just want her back," Alex said sadly then turned and walked away, his head lowered and shoulders shaking.

"Alex!" Phillip cried.

"Let him go Phillip. He just needs time," Elaine said softly.

Phillip nodded then turned to John. "How is Sam? Is he okay?"

"He's not completely out of the woods yet, but he's improving every day," John answered.

"That's good to hear John. He really is a special boy. Alisa thought the world of him. Uh…we'd come see him but I just can't step into that place right now…" Elaine said.

"I understand. Sam's asleep most of the time anyway. Uh…Elaine, Phillip…I just want you to know that the man who did this will pay. He will pay dearly for what he's done," John said, his dark eyes flashing.

Phillip and Elaine stared at John, the fierceness in his eyes taking them aback. Elaine squared her shoulders and stepped up to John, her blue eyes just as fierce.

"You make sure he suffers John. I don't want prison for this man. I want him to suffer and die," she said venomously then moved past the Winchesters, her husband holding her tightly to his side.

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Sam's eyes fluttered open and panic coursed through him until he remembered where he was. He turned his head to his right, smiling softly when he saw Bobby's baseball capped head bobbing up and down as he slept. Sam turned to his left and noted Dean in the same position. He glanced around the dim hospital room, frowning when he saw no one else there.

"D-Dean?" Sam whispered hoarsely, his eyes once more turning to his brother.

Dean came awake instantly, his ears attuned to any sound from his brother. When he saw Sam gazing at him, he leaned in and grasped his hand, smiling warmly.

"What is it kiddo?"

"Where is everybody? Where's Dad and Daniel?"

"Oh…they had some things to do Sammy, so they left you with me and the snoring wonder over there," Dean answered.

"Hey…I heard that you insolent little idjit!" came Bobby's gruff voice. His voice softened when he next spoke to Sam. "Hey there Sam…how ya feeling?"

"Hey Bobby. I'm okay…a little tired even though all I do is sleep," Sam answered softly.

"That's the pain meds kid. They got you on the good stuff," Bobby said with a chuckle.

"Yeah…don't like feeling this way. I just want to go home. Maybe then Alisa could come see me…" Sam said, a tear trailing down his cheek.

Dean looked stricken, but quickly masked it when Sam looked at him.

"Aw Sammy, you'll get to go home before you know it…" Dean started.

"I don't believe you guys you know," Sam said tiredly.

Dean's eyes widened and he glanced at Bobby before turning back to Sam. "What do you mean Sammy?"

"I don't think Alisa's not coming to see me because the doctor won't let her. I think she's not coming because she's scared of me. I think she's realized what a freak I am and that I attract freaks. I don't blame her, she should stay away," Sam said, wiping hastily at the tears that spilled from his eyes.

"Oh shit Sammy, that's not true. She's not scared of you and you're not a freak," Dean said firmly.

"Then why Dean? Tell me why she doesn't want to see me anymore!"

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**That's it until later tonight. I hope you liked it and will let me know. Let me know if you didn't. Love to you all!**

**Cindy.**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is a very short chapter, but it reveals a lot. Because it is so short and you have all been so wonderful in supporting my little story, I will post a third chapter later on. Now, it may be too late for some who are in different time zones, but it'll be there in the morning for you. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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Dean peered at Sam, his mind working frantically to come up with something to say to his little brother.

"Dean? What are you all hiding from me? If…if Alisa doesn't want to see me anymore just tell me. I just want to see her…just to say I'm sorry…" Sam said softly, his wide eyes beseeching his brother for the truth.

"What are you sorry for Sam? You have nothing to be sorry for," Dean said in reply.

"We should have never been at that park. She wanted to go and I gave in. It's my fault that I got hurt…"

"Sam…"

"No Dean. I wasn't supposed to go anywhere and I did. If I hadn't, that guy wouldn't have grabbed me and I wouldn't have yelled at Alisa and scared her…"

"Why did you yell at Alisa?"

"I told her to run away…to get help, but she didn't want to leave me. I yelled at her to go and it scared her, but she did run and now she won't see me. I just wanted her to be safe…I didn't want anyone else I love to be hurt because of me."

"Oh Sammy…nothing that's happened is your fault. Not before, not now. You have to stop blaming yourself," Dean said with exasperation.

Sam scoffed then flinched when the medication regulator clicked. He rolled his head on his pillow, knowing that in a few moments the pain meds would once again force him into a drugged sleep.

"Dean? Could you…" Sam started, his head already becoming fuzzy.

"What Sam? Could I what?" Dean queried.

"Could you tell…'lisa 'm sorry? D't mean…scare her…" Sam slurred as his eyes closed, his breaths evening out as he fell into deep slumber.

Dean shook his head sadly then reached out and brushed his fingers over Sam's cheek. Sam mumbled in his sleep, turning his face into the touch. Dean stilled his fingers then sat back in his chair. He looked up to find Bobby's eyes glued on him. He raked his fingers through his hair and blew out an exasperated breath.

"What am I gonna do Bobby? We can't keep lying to him. He's gonna hate us for this, I just know it," Dean cried softly.

Bobby leaned forward as his eyes fell to Sam's peaceful face. He smiled warmly as he began to speak.

"He's not gonna be happy, that's for sure Dean, but one thing I know for certain. That boy is incapable of hating you, no matter what. Sam loves you idjits more than anything in the world. He'll be pissed, he'll be hurt and confused…but, he won't hate you. He doesn't have it in him to hate…" Bobby said with certainty.

Dean smiled sadly, his gaze lingering on his baby brother. He relaxed in the chair and folded his hands behind his head as he waited for his father and brother to show up.

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The man gazed around the small room he had prepared for his future 'guest'. He checked the restraints on the twin bed, smiling in anticipation. Next he checked the metal chair, securing restraints on the seat back and front legs. He opened a nearby cupboard, smirking at the cans of 'food' stored there. A small table stood between the bed and the chair, the perfect size to hold the instruments he planned to use on the boy.

A small bathroom stood just to the side of the cupboard. It contained a sink and toilet, but nothing else. The man gazed up, admiring the chains that hung from the ceiling. He reached up and batted the cuffs that were attached to the ends of the chains, watching as they swayed to and fro.

"Oh Sammy boy, you may have your personal entourage of bodyguards watching over you, but you will be mine. We have so much to talk about and you have much to atone for. And you will atone Sam Winchester, you will atone. My father will be avenged," the man whispered as he walked from the room, the heavy door slamming loudly behind him.

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**Dun Dun Dun..............so, some of you were right when you guessed it was Michael Wilcox' son. There are more shocks ahead so I hope you keep reading. Reviews are like Sam and Dean...beautiful in every way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Um, this chapter...uh...well, just read it. You learn a lot. It ain't pretty. Oh, and I left a cliffy. I know, I know...evil...what can I say? **

**Cindy.**

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John and Bobby stood near the window in Sam's hospital room, a heated discussion kept to rushed whispers in order to not wake the healing teenager. Dean and Daniel of course sat next to their little brother's bedside, smirking at the two older hunters. They weren't positive what the two were arguing about but knowing those two it could be anything.

All four hunters turned their attention to the door when it quietly opened and Caleb and Joshua slid silently into the room. John immediately approached them, a feeling of unease settling over him at the look both had in their eyes.

"You found something didn't you?" John queried softly as Bobby, Dean and Daniel joined the party.

"Uh…yeah, we did," Caleb answered, his eyes lowering nervously to the ground.

"Well? What is it? Did you find out who this freak is?" Dean asked impatiently as he glanced over his shoulder at his sleeping brother.

"I think maybe we should take this across the hall. I really don't want Sam waking up and hearing us," Joshua said, his eyes moving to the boy.

"I really don't feel comfortable leaving him alone Josh," Daniel said in reply.

"It's just across the hall. We can still see the door," Joshua said evenly.

"And what if he wakes up and we're not here? He'll freak," Dean said.

Just as Joshua opened his mouth to reply, the door pushed open and two boys about Sam's age peered into the room, their eyes going wide at the sight of the group of unkempt hunters.

"Who are you? What the hell do you want?" John spat, causing the two boys to back up a step.

"We…uh…we're friends of Sam's. We we're just wanting to…uh…to visit him. If that's okay…" the blonde boy stammered, his eyes filled with fear.

"He's sleeping right now. Why don't you come back tomorrow," John said a bit more lightly.

"Well…uh…this is kind of our only chance. Could we…um…could we wait a while and see if he wakes up?" the other boy queried.

John looked the boys up and down, his dark eyes flashing with amusement at the fear he had instilled in the young men.

"What're your names?" he asked gruffly.

"Sir?" blondie asked.

"Your names! Not a tough question boy. ."

"Oh…yeah. I'm Scott and this is Brandon," the other boy replied.

"Scott, Brandon…I'm John, Sam's father. We're going to step across the hall and let you boys have some time with him. You can wake him, but don't upset him or you'll be dealing with me and his brothers and uncles here. Got it?" John hissed, a smirk curling his lips.

"Y-yes s-sir. We w-won't upset him. We just w-want to make sure he's okay," Brandon stammered.

"Okay then. We'll be right across the hall in that vacant room. We'll know if anything goes on in here…"

"No sir…nothing's gonna go on. We p-promise," Scott answered, his voice trembling.

"Good then," John said as he led the other hunters out of the room, glancing back and smiling at the pale faces of the two boys.

As the door shut behind them, the hunters burst out laughing; the first true laughter any of them had done since this whole new nightmare began. Their faces turned somber once again as they entered the small, unoccupied hospital room across from Sam's. They kept the door open so they could easily see Sam's door.

Keeping his voice low, John once again asked Joshua and Caleb what they had found.

"Well…T.W. is Trenton Wilcox we think. Real name is Trenton Flynn, his mother's maiden name," Joshua started.

"So…who is he?" Daniel asked, his eyes glancing across the hall as he shuffled nervously.

"He is Michael Wilcox's illegitimate son. Michael Wilcox and Angie Flynn dated briefly in highschool, but then when they were both sixteen, Angie became pregnant," Caleb answered.

"Okay…so, did they marry?" John asked.

"No. Seems Wilcox didn't want a kid so he dropped out of school and his family packed up and moved away," Joshua said.

"That's a little extreme isn't it?" Dean queried.

"Well from what we've dug up by research and talking to people, Wilcox's older brother had the same problem except he was nineteen and the girl was fourteen. He went to jail for statutory rape. The family didn't want anymore scandal, so they left. Apparently they were a somewhat prominent family," Joshua answered.

"So what about this dick Trenton? What's the deal with him?" Dean asked.

"His mother raised him on her own and apparently told him his father was dead. When he was thirteen, Angie Flynn was murdered in their apartment. She'd been beaten, tied to a chair and had her throat slit," Caleb replied.

"Holy shit…did they catch who did it?" Dean queried.

"No…but as if by some miracle, Michael Wilcox showed up three weeks later claiming to be Trenton's daddy and wanting to take him out of foster care. After a DNA test was performed, it came back positive for them being father and son. So…Wilcox took little ole Trenton back to New Orleans with him," Caleb said as he sat back against the hospital bed.

"So what do we know about Trenton Wilcox as an adult? Anything?" John asked.

"He's twenty six which means Wilcox was forty one when he died last year. He started going by the last name Wilcox right after he moved in with his father's new family. He had minor scrapes with the law, but nothing over a misdemeanor. One thing though, his stepmother and half siblings did not like him," Joshua explained.

"How so? What did he do?" Daniel queried.

"I talked to his half sister, Leslie. She said he was strange. Gave her the creeps. She said her dad and Trenton were pretty much attached at the hip. She said he just dropped off the face of the earth when Wilcox died," Joshua replied.

"So, do you think Michael Wilcox killed Angie Flynn so he could get his boy?" Bobby asked.

"That's where my money would be. Maybe he decided he wanted his kid after all and she wouldn't give him up, so he killed her then show's up 'out of the blue' claiming to be the kids dad. No lawyers fees or court costs, no custody problems, no back child support," Dean said quietly.

"Did you find anything on where he might be staying? Maybe we can pay him a visit?" John queried.

"No…there's nothing. His last known address was the Wilcox home in New Orleans. But John, there is something else you need to know," Caleb said wearily, his eyes locking on the older hunter.

John's stomach knotted as Caleb stared at him. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like what Caleb had to say, but he knew he needed to hear everything in order to keep his baby safe.

"What is it Caleb?" he asked, his gruff voice trembling.

Dean and Daniel moved to stand next to John, their eyes fixed on Caleb. Caleb stood, speechless for several moments, which didn't bode well for the news he had to give them. He wrung his hands and swallowed heavily before beginning to speak.

"Uh…we also did a little digging into the Wilcox case involving the…uh…the boys that were…uh…raped and murdered," Caleb started, his heart pounding furiously.

"Yeah? Come on Caleb…what's going on?" Dean asked, his breaths quickening.

"Apparently some new evidence has come to light. More extensive tests were done and the last two boys had more than one DNA profile come up in the semen samples taken from their bodies," Caleb answered.

"So, you're saying there was more than one rapist and murderer?" Bobby queried, suddenly feeling sick.

"Yeah…uh…" Caleb said haltingly.

"Just spit it out Caleb. Please," Daniel said fearfully.

"Okay…sorry. Uh…according to the tests, both semen donors were related, and there's a 99.9 percent chance it was a father and son."

"Wh-what? You're joking!" Dean sputtered, his face paling.

"They tested both of Wilcox's other sons, Trenton Wilcox's half brothers, and they weren't a match. Now unless there's more little weanie wielding Wilcox's out there, it's looking like Trenton Wilcox is not only Michael Wilcox's son, but he was his accomplice too. His apprentice. The police have been looking for him, but…well, you know," Caleb said bitterly.

"Yeah, I know. First Daddy Wilcox goes after my boy and now his looney ass son is trying to finish the job. Oh God…all the times he was so close and Sam was alone…" John cried softly, his body shaking as his knees threatened to give way beneath him.

Dean and Daniel were in just as bad shape, their pale and shocked faces staring incredulously at Caleb. Bobby lifted his hand and removed his cap before rubbing his shaky hand nervously over his thin hair.

"Wh-what do we tell Sam? He can't…w-we can't…oh God…what are we gonna do?" Dean whispered brokenly.

"I don't know Dean. He's got to know…we have to tell him. He needs to know how serious this is," John said as he gripped Dean's bicep.

"Fuck! So…we have to tell him that the guy after him is Wilcox's son and he wants to finish what his dad started? Oh…and let's not forget…that said asshole killed his girlfriend, his first love no less, and that we lied to him about it! Does that about cover it Dad?" Dean spat.

"Dean…calm down," Joshua said softly.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? My baby brother is lying in a hospital bed across the hall with a stab wound in his gut, convinced his girlfriend is afraid of him and that's why she won't come to see him…"

"Dean…" John cautioned.

"No! We've lied to him Dad! Do you even realize that he blames himself for what happened to him? When he finds out about Alisa who do you think he's gonna blame? And now we have to tell him that Michael Wilcox's son is the man who wants to kill him? Fuck!!"

Daniel was about to speak when he caught sight of Sam's friends slowly slipping into the hall from Sam's room. Their wide eyes gazed into the room the hunters were in and Daniel suddenly felt nauseous. He rushed into the hall, the other hunters following closely behind.

"Scott? Brandon? What's wrong?" he queried warily.

"W-we didn't know. Y-you didn't tell him? We thought he knew. It…it isn't our fault. We thought he knew…" Scott stammered fearfully.

Dean's eyes widened and his heart dropped into his stomach. "Nonononono…Oh God…Sammy!" he cried as he raced into the room.

The other Winchesters were right on his tail, followed by Bobby and Caleb. Joshua glared at the two shocked, terrified teenagers. They backed away as he stepped up to them.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll get out'a here fast," he hissed.

"B-but…we didn't know…you never told us…" Brandon cried weakly.

"I know…but those Winchesters in there aren't gonna listen to reason. Now git while you can! Go! Now!"

The two boys turned and raced down the hall, skidding around the corner and nearly losing their balance as they stumbled over each other. Joshua hurried into the room, despair washing over him at the scene unfolding before him.

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**Well, what did I say? It's not like I didn't warn you it wasn't pretty! And this guy is after our Sammy...has his own little torture chamber set up. 46 chapters total and we're at what...15? So much can happen in 31 chapters. Sooooooooooooo much! I just scared myself...i AM evil...wow....I never knew. Sweet dreams! LOL**

**Cindy.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, you all wanted to know what would happen once Sam found out about Alisa. Read on.**

**Cindy.**

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Joshua rushed into Sam's room, despair washing over him at the scene unfolding before him. Sam was out of bed, his arm crossed over his stomach. Sweat glistened as it rolled down his face. The pain he was in was unmistakable as indicated by the shaking of his hands and the way his face was pinched. He had his right hand out, his palm pushed toward the hunters who pled with him to calm down.

"Sammy…please! You have to calm down. You're gonna hurt yourself…" Daniel cried, his voice trembling with emotion.

"No! You…you lied to me! She's d-dead…Oh my God…she's…I don't understand…" Sam screamed in reply.

"Sam…we couldn't tell you. We were only looking out for your best interests son," John said, eyeing Dean from the corner of his eye as the younger man inched toward his baby brother.

Sam scoffed, his eyes wide as tears cascaded down his flushed cheeks. "You weren't looking out for me! You were doing what was easiest for you! Is that why you kept pushing the med button even though I didn't want it? Was it easier to keep me out of it? Was…stop Dean! Don't come near me. Please…just leave me alone," cried Sam, his eyes darting to his older brother.

Dean halted and put his hands out in front of him in a placating manner. He gazed at Sam, imploring him to understand.

"Sammy…we didn't want to keep it from you…" Dean started.

"Don't call me that! You have no right anymore!" Sam spat as he backed further into the machines that were still attached to him, the heart monitor screaming as Sam's heart rate continued to rise.

"Sam, please…we only did what we thought best for you…" Daniel said pleadingly.

"Y-you lied to me. You let me believe Alisa was afraid of me, that she didn't want to see me. Oh God! I…I killed her! She's dead because…because of me. It's my fault…" Sam cried.

"Don't say that Sam. It's not your fault," Caleb said calmly.

"Yes it is! It's all…" Sam started but halted when the door opened and Dr. Heely, along with two nurses rushed into the room.

Dr. Heely took one look at Sam and whispered urgently to one nurse, the nurse nodding her head before quickly exiting the room. The doctor and the other nurse stepped cautiously in front of the hunters, their eyes fixed on their nearly hyperventilating patient.

"Sam…son, you need to calm down. The stress is not good for you…" the doctor started.

"I don't care! My girlfriend is dead and my fam…these people lied to me! I should be dead, not her…not her…" Sam cried, the tears starting in earnest again.

"Sam…I know this is a shock, but I told them not to tell you. It was for your own protection…"

"I don't deserve protection! I killed her! I killed my mom, and I killed Alisa. They're both dead because of me! I don't deserve to be here…not when they aren't! Please…please…"

Sam jerked his head when Dean suddenly made a move toward him. He lunged forward, crying out in pain as he grabbed a pair of pointed scissors that had been left on his table. He pressed the scissors to his wrist, pushing hard enough to draw blood. A hush settled over the room as all eyes stared in shock at the distraught, trembling boy. The nurse who had been sent away had re-entered the room and eased up to Dr. Heely, handing him something discreetly as Sam glared at his brother.

"Stay back! I told you to leave me alone…just…just stay away…"

"Sam, we love you. We didn't mean to hurt you. Please, put the scissors down," Dean pled, his eyes filled with fear as he stared into his brother's panicked face.

"Ha! You don't love me! You don't lie to people you love. Not about something like this. You don't let them believe horrible things just to make things easier for yourself!" Sam cried indignantly.

"Do you really think it was easy? We've barely eaten or slept Sam, and not just because we were worried about you. It was also because of the guilt of keeping this from you," Dean said, his eyes moist with unshed tears.

"I-I didn't even get to go to her funeral. You guys did and I didn't. She's all alone…I have to see her. She…she doesn't like to be alone…"

Sam reached with the hand that held the scissors and pulled the IV ports from his other hand then reached up and yanked the heart monitor pads from beneath his hospital gown. He pulled the nasal canula from his face then pressed the scissors back to his wrist. He began to move forward, his movements stiff and shaky.

"Move out of my way. I have to go to Alisa. She's probably scared…" Sam demanded weakly, his eyes narrowing at his family and friends.

When no one moved, Sam pressed the scissors further into his skin. Blood pooled heavily before it began to stream over his palm to drip to the floor. All eyes went wide and the hunters split, forming an open pathway to the door. Dr. Heely and the nurses eyed each other and the doctor nodded lightly as his young patient passed by him. Sam glanced his way briefly, and as soon as he glanced away, the doctor and nurses moved on him.

Dr. Heely grabbed Sam's arm and pulled it sharply. In his surprise, Sam dropped the scissors to the floor. Dean rushed forward and grabbed his struggling brother's other arm. Sam screamed as he bucked his body in an attempt to free himself from the hands that were dragging him to the floor. He kicked out with his bare feet, but soon Daniel and John had them restrained as well.

Dr. Heely shouted over the teenagers screams as he revealed the fluid filled syringe he had hidden from view.

"Hold him! He's going to break his stitches!"

Sam jerked away from the doctor when he saw the needle, at least as best as he could considering his waning strength. He screamed at his family, his pain and despair evident in his hitching voice.

"That's it! Just d-drug me…that's how you control me…m-make it easier to lie to me…" Sam flinched as he felt the pinch of the needle in his arm, then the warmth as the sedative flooded his bloodstream.

Sam continued to fight, his struggles becoming weaker as the drug did its job. He turned confused eyes on his family, betrayal burning bright in the wide, hazel orbs.

"H-how could'ja do this t'me? S'not what f'mly does t'each other…" the boy slurred groggily.

Sam looked into the eyes of his father, breaking the man with his next words. "Should'a n'vr been born…mom'd be 'live…should'a let me die…"

Sam's eyes closed as his body went limp, his cheeks glistening with sweat and tears. Dean pulled the boy to his chest, burying his face in his mop of chocolate hair. John sank down next to Dean and rested his trembling hand on Sam's, smearing the blood that trickled from the punctures left by the IV ports. Daniel collapsed at Sam's feet, the only thing holding him up being Joshua's legs as the older man moved closely in behind him. Caleb and Bobby stood behind Dean and John, their expressions shell shocked.

Dr. Heely reached his fingers around Sam's wrist and pressed them over the pulse point there. He eyed his watch then let go of Sam's wrist. He sighed as he looked up to be greeted with expectant stares.

"His pulse is fast, but it's not dangerously so. Let's get him off this floor and back into bed. Be careful, it looks like he tore his stitches," the doctor instructed, the hunters following his gaze to the growing bloodstain on Sam's gown.

"Shit!" Dean murmured as he stared intently at his brother.

"Come on Dean, let's get him up," John said as he stood shakily, his hand grasping Dean's arm.

Dean worked himself to his knees, never letting loose of his beloved brother. Sam's pained words assaulted him over and over and Dean whimpered softly. He kept his arm under Sam's back and moved his other arm under his knees. Pushing up until he was on his feet, Dean pulled his limp brother up from the floor. John maintained his grasp on Dean's arm as the middle brother carried an unconscious Sam back to bed. Daniel rose slowly and eased up behind his father.

Dean gently rested Sam on the bed then softly brushed sweat soaked bangs from Sam's hot forehead. He pulled the blanket up over the boy's pelvis then stepped aside to allow room for Dr. Heely. The doctor pulled Sam's hospital gown up, making sure to keep his bottom half covered. The bandages over Sam's side were soaked with blood and the doctor sighed heavily. He carefully removed the bandages and tsked as he saw that half of the sutures had ripped free. He turned to John and the other hunters, gazing upon them with weary eyes.

"You all may as well go grab some dinner. We're going to have to take Sam to get resutured and then get him hooked back up to everything. I also need to make sure he didn't suffer any internal damage," the doctor said evenly.

"Don't really feel comfortable leaving him. What if he wakes up?" Daniel replied worriedly.

"He's going to be out for hours Daniel. Don't worry, I won't let him out of my sight. I'll make sure I have two burly orderlies with him at all times. He'll be safe…I promise," Dr. Heely said.

It was with great reservation that the hunters agreed to leave Sam in the doctor's care. None of them had forgotten what had happened in Phoenix when they had left Sam. John pulled Dr. Heely aside and spoke to him for several minutes. Dr. Heely's eyes grew wide as John explained the importance of not leaving Sam unattended for even a second. Once the conversation was over Dr. Heely not only called for the orderlies, but for two security guards also, neither of which were to leave the boys side once he was taken from his room.

Satisfied that his baby was well protected, John led the reluctant group of hunters down the hall and away from Sam's room. Dean glanced over his shoulder, making sure the guards were still standing watch at Sam's door. As the group rounded the corner, they each became lost in their own thoughts as the scene from the hospital room played over and over in their minds.

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**Can you believe they're leaving him again? Wonder how that will come back to bite them in the ass?**

**Cindy.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Here is the next chapter for all of you. Shit's gonna be hitting the fan in this one. Enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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John, Daniel and Dean hurried down the hall, eager to get back to Sam before the boy awoke. They rounded the corner and made their way to Sam's room. John pushed the door open as quietly as he could and entered the room, followed closely by his two older sons. John stopped short when he was greeted by an empty bed. The room had been cleaned and looked as if nobody had recently been inhabiting it. Daniel rushed to the cupboard and found that all of Sam's belongings were missing.

"What the hell?" Dean said under his breath, his face paling.

John turned on his heels and hurried from the room, his gruff voice booming down the hall.

"Where the hell is my son!?"

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Sam felt heavy, like the very air around him was pressing him into the mattress of the bed he lay on. He tried to move, tried to lift his arms but nothing seemed to work. His eyelids were equally heavy as he attempted to open them.

"Mmmmmmmm," he moaned as he worked to roll his head on his pillow.

Sam swallowed, nearly choking at the thickness he felt in his throat. His head pounded and his side radiated a red hot fire that spread through his abdomen and down his leg. There was a dull throb in his wrist and Sam tried to focus on the pain he felt in an attempt to bring himself fully awake. Finally, he was able to peel his eyes open and he groaned as the bright light assaulted his vision, causing his head to pound even harder.

Sam gazed with confusion at his surroundings. This was not the room he had been in before, he was sure of that. His befuddled mind tried to comprehend what had happened to him. He couldn't figure out why his family was absent, but suddenly everything came back to him, slamming into him like a tsunami, forcing the air from his lungs.

Tears sprang to his eyes as he remembered his friends telling him they were sorry about Alisa; saying they understood why he couldn't go to the funeral but that it was nice of his father and brother to go. They had said that everyone at school was in shock at what had happened to him and Alisa. Sam tried to lift his hand to his face to wipe the errant tears from his cheeks, but found he still could not move it.

Sam raised his head slightly and looked down, sucking in his breath as he discovered his wrist restrained to the bed railing with a wide leather cuff. He turned to look at his other hand and found it restrained also. He then tried to move his legs but felt the cuffs that held his ankles tighten slightly at the movement.

"Wh-what…why?" the boy whispered to the empty room, his breath quickening as he heart rate soared.

Sam let his head drop back onto his pillow, his eyes staring fearfully up at the white ceiling. Where was his family? Why had they allowed this to happen to him? Where was he? But still, the biggest question that assaulted Sam was why did his family lie to him? Why did they withhold that from him, allowing him to believe the girl no longer loved him. He remembered Dr. Heely saying something about it but his hazy mind prevented him from recovering the memory in full.

The door opening caused Sam to flinch and he sluggishly turned in the direction of the sound. An older woman entered the room and smiled warmly as she met Sam's eyes. She walked swiftly to the bed and placed a cool hand on the boy's heated forehead. The nurse shook her head and gazed at Sam with sad eyes.

"You're still too hot. How are you feeling?" she asked kindly.

"W-why am I restrained?" Sam asked, his voice raspy from his earlier screaming match.

"Oh honey, the doctor will be in to talk to you in a bit. My name is Marion. I'll be your nurse today. Is there anything you need?"

"W-water?" Sam whispered.

"Of course dear," Marion said as she reached to the side table and picked up a small glass of water.

Marion placed her hand behind Sam's neck and gently lifted his head then guided the bent straw in between Sam's waiting lips. Sam sucked the cool liquid into his mouth, the water soothing his sore throat. Marion pulled the glass away and Sam gazed up at her with grateful eyes.

"Thanks," Sam said softly.

"Is there anything else?" Marion asked.

"Do you know where my f-family is?"

"I don't…I'm sorry honey. They can't come see you for a while yet," Marion answered.

"Why? Why am I restrained? P-please…please tell me," Sam pled tiredly, his puppy dog eyes gazing at the nurse.

Marion melted, and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, it's required dear. Hospital policy."

"Required? What did I do?" Sam asked, his confused eyes pleading with the nurse.

"Well sweetie…you attempted suicide. You scared everyone very much."

Sam's hazel eyes widened with shock. "Wh-what? But…but I didn't…"

"Your wrist says different dear. Now…Dr. Heely will be in to check on you soon."

"Please…please believe me. I wasn't trying to…to kill myself…please, help me," Sam pled.

"Honey, it's not up to me. You need to talk to the doctor," Marion said apologetically.

Sam turned his head, willing away the tears that threatened to fall. Marion gazed sadly down at the boy then pulled the blanket up further on his chest. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay sweetie. Everything will be okay."

"I…I just want my family, but I guess they don't want me…"

"Oh, that's not true."

"Then why did they let them do this to me? I guess they know they're better off without me."

Marion squeezed Sam's shoulder gently, a single tear escaping her eye. "Oh honey…I'm sure if your family could be here, they would be."

"All I wanted was to see my girlfriend."

"Why don't you go back to sleep? You'll feel better when you wake up."

Sam turned away once more and closed his eyes, unable to hold his tears in any longer. Marion stood beside his bed, watching the boy until he finally fell back into a fitful sleep. She gently brushed his bangs away from his forehead and shook her head. It pained her to see such a young man hurting so badly. She rested her hand on his forehead once again before moving away toward the door.

"Poor, poor baby," she whispered sadly as she exited the room.

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John was on Dr. Heely as soon as the man rounded the corner onto Sam's floor. The doctor took a wary step backwards when he saw the unbridled fury in the man's dark eyes.

"I want to know where my son is! These damn nurses won't tell us anything!" John spat as he pushed right into the doctor's face.

"John, calm down. Sam is safe, I assure you," Dr. Heely said as calmly as he could under the circumstances.

"Did you send us away just so you could hide Sam from us? I want to know what the hell is going on, and I want to know right now?" John demanded.

Dr. Heely looked from John to the two younger men behind him. Sam's brothers appeared on the brink of exploding and the doctor swallowed nervously at the news he had to relay to the worried men.

"John, I had to report what happened to by boss, the chief of staff. Dr. Scobey immediately instructed me to put Sam under a suicide watch and…" the doctor started.

"What!? What the hell are you talking about?" Daniel cried furiously.

"Whenever a patient attempts suicide, they are moved to an area of the..."

"Wait a damned minute! Sam didn't attempt suicide!" Dean spat.

"Dean, he cut his wrist with a pair of scissors. What else would you call that?" the doctor queried.

"That was him telling us to back off, to give him space. He was not trying to kill himself," John said, his voice sounding near to a growl.

"John, I was there. I've seen suicide attempts before…"

"I know my son a hell of a lot better than you Dr. Heely. He was not trying to kill himself. Now…I want to see him," John hissed.

"I'm sorry John. When a minor is put on a suicide watch, they are sequestered away from any visitors until a pediatric psychologist can see them. It will be at least twelve hours before you'll be able to see Sam."

"What!? Are you saying we can't see our brother for twelve hours?" Dean cried.

"I'm afraid so Dean. I'm sorry, but my hands are tied. It's hospital policy."

"What if he tries to sneak out? He won't be happy about being kept away from us," Daniel said.

"Well, he…he can't sneak anywhere. He's been restrained in his bed and he…"

John had the doctor slammed against the wall so fast the man's head began to spin. "You have my son restrained? You can't do that without my consent doctor," he hissed into the doctor's face.

"I'm afraid we can John. If we feel he's a danger to himself, we're required to take action."

John abruptly let the man go and Dr. Heely stumbled forward clumsily.

"I can't fucking believe this! I told you what happened in Phoenix! How Sam was duct taped to his bed and tortured. Tell me doctor…how do you think he's gonna feel when he wakes up and he's tied to his bed?" John spat venomously.

"I'm sorry John, I really am. I'm going to see Sam soon and I'll assure him he'll get to see you soon. That's all I can do," Dr. Heely said.

"Dad…we can't let them do this. Sam's gonna think we let them take him away. He already thinks we betrayed him," Dean cried, grabbing John's arm and turning him around.

"I know Dean, but we don't even know where they have him," John answered before turning back to the doctor. "You tell Sam that we had nothing to do with this. And doc? If anything happens to my son, I'll hold you personally responsible. You had no right to do this. You went behind my back and stole my boy away…"

"John…"

"No…you listen to me. If you've done damage to my baby by any of this, I will make you suffer. That's a promise," John hissed.

"John, I understand how you feel…really, I do. I'll be to see Sam soon…as soon as he wakes. I'll make sure he knows you're here and waiting to see him. He'll be fine."

"He better be…" Daniel said menacingly.

Dr. Heely nodded then turned and walked down the hallway. The three Winchesters watched him go, murder in their eyes.

"John…boys, how is everything?" a voice said from behind the group.

The men turned to see Detective Casey strolling toward them and they stepped his way.

"John? What's wrong?" the detective queried.

"They think Sam is suicidal and they took him while we were at dinner. They won't tell us where he is. They said we have to wait twelve hours to see him," John explained.

"What? Why do they think Sam's suicidal?" Detective Casey asked.

"He found out earlier about Alisa and that we held it from him. He held a pair of scissors to his wrist; he cut himself, but it was only to get us to back off of him," Daniel explained.

"Hey, they'll take good care of him. Dr. Heely knows what's on the line guys. They keep all suicide watch patients identities confidential. The doctor won't let anything happen to Sam," the detective said.

"Yeah…he better not. So, what brings you here detective?" John queried.

"Well, I've been researching and I think I know who T.W. is," the detective answered.

"Trenton Wilcox…Michael Wilcox's son…" Dean interjected.

"Uh…yeah. I take it you've been doing your own research?"

"Yeah…found out a lot of wonderful things about the asshole!" Dean spat.

"So you know that he's most likely an accomplice to the murders of those boys?"

"Yep…nice huh?" John answered.

Detective Casey shook his head then looked at John. "Did you also know that Trenton Wilcox is a doctor?"

"What? No…we didn't know that," Daniel said with shock.

"Well…he went through medical school and was almost through his internship…"

"Almost?" Daniel asked.

"He was in his last year and got himself kicked out for improper conduct."

"What did he do?" Daniel asked, suddenly feeling sick.

"Not quite sure. His family managed to cover it up."

"Figures. So, I guess we have ourselves a problem huh?" John said.

"I'll make sure everyone here has a picture of the pervert. I found a recent photo on the police website. He won't get to Sam, John," the detective said.

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"Excuse me? Can you help me please?"

"How may I help you doctor?" the woman behind the reception desk asked with a smile.

"I'm looking for a patient of mine. I went to his room but it appears as though he's been moved. His father called me this morning."

"What is the patients name?"

"Sam Winchester."

"And may I see your credentials please?'

"Here you go."

The woman inspected the offered ID and smiled up at he man before her. "Thank you Dr. Wilcox. I'll have that information for you right away."

"Thank you very much," Trenton Wilcox said, a wide smile on his smug face.

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**Uh oh.**

**Cindy.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Alright!! Here is the next chapter folks. I am just overwhelmed by the support I've received for this story. Usually the sequel doesn't fare as well as the original, but that doesn't appear to be the case with this so thanks to all who are reading and to those reading and reviewing. It's what keeps me doing this. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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Marli Sanders busied herself by checking the sleeping boys vitals and rearranging the blanket that covered him up to his chest, frowning at the fact that his bare feet were exposed from beneath the blanket. She glanced at the leather cuffs that restrained his wrists and ankles, shaking her head sadly. She could clearly see the white bandage around one wrist and surmised that the boy must have cut it. All the patients on this ward were under watch and she felt lucky that only three rooms were occupied at the time.

Marli had heard the story of the boy. She'd heard how he and his girlfriend had been attacked and how he had been stabbed and nearly died as a result. The girlfriend had died and when the boy had found out, he'd gone crazy with grief and tried to kill himself. Tears welled in Marli's eyes at the pain the boy must have been in to do something so drastic. He must have really loved that girl.

Marli wrote down the vitals she had taken then smiled sadly down at the boy before turning to quietly leave. A soft voice halted her steps and she turned to see tired, hazel eyes gazing at her.

"Did you say something?" she asked as she walked back to the bed.

"I…uh…what's y-your name?" Sam asked softly.

"Oh, I'm Marli. I'm a nursing student assigned to help take care of you. Is there anything you need?" she answered.

"N-no…um…well, yeah…maybe. I'm Sam," Sam whispered.

"Hi Sam. What is it you need?"

"Um…my wrist…I…I cut it and the cuff really makes it hurt. Do you think you could loosen it a little?" Sam queried as he stared wide eyed at the young woman.

"Oh…I don't think so Sam. I'm sorry…you're under a suicide watch…" Marli replied nervously.

Sam continued to stare up at her, his eyes watery and pleading. "Marli…I didn't try to kill myself. That's not what happened. I just…uh…could you please just help me? My wrist really hurts. The cuff is too tight," Sam said, continuing to assault the girl with his wide, puppy dog stare.

Marli looked at Sam's hand and thought maybe the cuff did look a little too tight. She reached out and softly touched his fingers, noting the coolness in the extremity despite Sam's elevated temperature.

"Please Marli…my hand feels kinda numb. Just one notch looser should work," Sam asked, knowing that he had already won.

"Oh…okay. Just one notch though Sam. I could get in trouble for this you know," Marli said as she loosened the cuff on Sam's injured wrist.

"Thanks Marli, I really appreciate it. It feels better already," Sam said, flashing a dimpled grin at the young nurse.

"You're welcome. Is there anything else you need before I leave?"

"No…I'm fine. Thanks again Marli," Sam answered warmly.

Marli smiled then turned and left the room. Sam immediately went to work on freeing himself, determined to make his great escape.

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John, Daniel and Dean sat with Detective Casey discussing Sam's case in hushed tones. They were located near Sam's room, or at least the room he had been in. They had all tried unsuccessfully to gain any information on where Sam had been moved to and the frustration showed clearly on their weary faces. Daniel straightened when he saw Dr. Heely heading their way.

"I thought I might find you all here," the doctor said, smiling as he approached the group of men.

"Where else would we be? You won't tell us where Sam is so we figured we'd wait here until you came to your senses…" Dean spat.

"Dean…that's enough," John admonished before standing and facing the doctor.

"That's alright John…you all have the right to be upset with me. I think though that you're going to be happy with the news I have for you," the doctor said confidently.

"The only thing that will make us happy is to see Sam," Daniel said, rising to stand next to his father.

Dean and Detective Casey stood and all four men turned expectant eyes on Dr. Heely. The doctor smiled then turned and started to walk away. He looked over his shoulder and chuckled lightly.

"Well come on then, visiting hours are over soon on Sam's ward."

The men looked with surprise at the doctor before rushing to catch up with him.

"What are you saying Dr. Heely?" John inquired when he pulled up alongside the doctor.

"Well…after talking to Sam and carefully thinking back on the events from earlier, I've come to the conclusion that my initial assessment of Sam's suicidal state may have been a tad erroneous," the doctor replied.

"So…what does that mean?" Detective Casey asked.

"That means I'm taking you all up to see Sam and that he'll be brought back down here as soon as possible," Dr. Heely replied.

"Thank you so much doc!" Dean exclaimed happily.

"My pleasure Dean, and I'm sorry to have caused all this drama."

"How is Sammy? Is he upset at us? Is he okay…is he scared?" Daniel queried in a breathless rush.

"Sam's okay Daniel. He was upset and confused, but he seemed better after we talked," Dr. Heely replied.

"Is he still in a lot of pain?" John asked as they stepped up to the elevators.

Dr. Heely pushed the down button and the five men loaded onto the elevator as soon as the doors slid open. Once all were aboard, the doctor pressed the button for floor three and waited for the lift to move before answering.

"He's still on his IV's and is still receiving his pain meds, so he's comfortable."

"Are the security guards still with him?" John queried.

"No, I sent them away after Sam was settled," Dr. Heely answered.

"What!?" three shocked voices cried together.

The elevator doors opened and the men hurried out into the waiting hall just as the other elevators doors were closing. Dr. Heely stopped and calmly addressed the agitated men.

"Sam is perfectly safe guys. Patients who are moved to the 'watch ward' are not named. The nurses only have numbers to identify them. The only persons who can be given their room number are doctors, and they have to provide their credentials to even get that," the doctor explained.

John grabbed the doctors arm and made sure he had his full attention. "Dr. Heely, Sam's stalker and attacker is a doctor and with him restrained and drugged, he's a sitting duck."

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Trenton Wilcox strolled confidently down the hall toward room #3264 on the 'Observation Ward'. He chuckled to himself knowing from past experience what that meant. It meant that Sam Winchester was on a suicide watch and would be strapped to his bed, completely helpless. Wilcox knew he would have all the time in the world to drug the boy and prepare to move him. All he had to do was tell the nurses to give him privacy with his patient and they would leave him alone. The only worry he had was how to get the boy out of the hospital.

Wilcox turned a corner and found the Observation Ward then checked in with the nurses station as required. He was pointed around a curved wall and soon found the room he was looking for. He glanced to his left and smiled when he saw an exit sign above a door at the end of the short hall. He now had his way out. He knew from studying the hospital layout that the exit door would lead him to the back of the building. He would easily be able to hide his quarry while he retrieved his van then he could load the boy into the van without being seen.

Wilcox hesitated for a few more moments before pushing the door open and stepping into the darkened room, closing the door securely behind him then making his way to the bed.

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Dr. Heely approached the nurses station, the smile that had been on his face moments before all but gone. He tapped on the countertop to get the nurses attention and was greeted by an older woman whose nametag read 'Marion'.

"Well, hello Dr. Heely. I didn't expect you back tonight," Marion said cheerfully.

"Marion, this is the patient in room 3264's family. His father John and brothers Dean and Daniel," the doctor said, indicating each man.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Marion said, her confused eyes falling on each man in turn.

"And this is Detective Casey," the doctor said, nodding toward the other man.

"Detective?" the nurse asked.

"He's in charge of the patient's case," the doctor replied.

Detective Casey nodded his head then returned his attention to the doctor.

"We've just come to visit for awhile until the boy can be moved back upstairs," Dr. Heely said.

"Moved? So he's leaving us already?"

"Yes…I made a bit of an error when I had him moved here."

"Oh, well okay. You can go in but I think he's sleeping," the nurse said.

"That's fine. I'm sure he won't mind being wakened," Dr. Heely replied.

The men followed Dr. Heely around the curved wall and stopped in front of the first door to his right. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room, followed eagerly by the hunters and the detective. The men were stunned when they were met by an empty room. Dean rushed forward as the other men fanned out. There was no bathroom or closets, so there was basically no place the boy could hide.

Dean reached down and pulled up a discarded hospital gown, holding it up for the other men to see. He looked down at the bed and noticed a hint of blood on the leather cuff that would have been around Sam's injured wrist. He turned fearful eyes on his father just as John turned on the doctor.

"Where is my son!? Where is Sammy!" John hissed.

"I-I don't know. He couldn't have gotten free. I don't understand," the doctor mumbled softly.

The Winchesters rushed from the room with Detective Casey and Dr. Heely right on their heels. They hurried to the nurses desk, startling the older nurse and another younger girl when John pounded on the counter.

"My son is gone! Can you please explain that to me!?" he spat at the older nurse.

"What? But the other doctor said he was sleeping…" Marion cried fearfully.

"Other doctor? What other doctor?" Daniel snapped as he stepped up to the desk.

"The patients private physician. He was just here. You must have just missed him when you got off the elevator," Marion answered.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean shouted, his face paling.

"But he was alone right? Sammy wasn't with him?" John questioned in a panic.

"No…he was alone," Marion said.

"What was this doctor's name?" Detective Casey queried.

"Uh…just a sec…" Marion said as she picked up the check in sheet. "Dr. Wilcox…he said he'd talked to you earlier about checking on your son."

"Marion, call security immediately! Give them a description of the doctor and tell them not to let that man leave this hospital. Also, have them get everyone looking for that young man. I want him found immediately!" Dr. Heely commanded.

"Yes doctor, but what's going on? How could the poor boy be gone."

"That 'doctor' was Sam's stalker. He's the one who attacked the boy and killed his girlfriend."

The younger nurse gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. She lowered her hand and stared with frightened eyes at the group of men. "I…I loosened Sam's cuff…" she whispered guiltily.

"What? You loosened his cuff?" Daniel asked gently, trying not to scare the young woman further.

"H-he said it was hurting him. Hurting his injury. I just loosened it one notch…" the frightened nurse said. "I'm so sorry."

"Dad…maybe Sam left on his own. I mean…Wilcox left alone. Maybe Sam was already gone when Wilcox got to his room," Dean said hopefully.

"I hope so Dean. But if that's the case, we still have a huge problem…" John said in reply.

"Yeah…Sam's out there alone, unprotected and in very rough shape. Plus, we have no idea where he would go…and Wilcox is also out there…" Daniel said.

The five men hurried away, leaving one nurse on the phone and one shaking with remorse and fear.

John pulled his cell phone out and quickly called Caleb. He filled the hunter in on the latest developments and instructed him to bring Joshua with him to meet them at the hospital and to leave Bobby at the house, just in case Sam showed up there. They had a teenager to find, and they needed to find him before Trenton Wilcox did.

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**Uh oh. So...do you think Sam escaped on his own, or do you think Wilcox stashed him somewhere then left the same way he came in? Come back a little later tonight to find out. Take care.**

**Cindy.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, I guess I've made you all suffer long enough, not knowing what has happened to Sammy. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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The rushed and frantic search of the hospital for both Sam and Trenton Wilcox had been a huge bust. Every available security guard, orderly and even maintenance worker was called upon, but neither the boy nor his stalker had been found. The head of security was viewing digital footage, hoping something could be gleamed from images picked up on the many security cameras that were spread throughout the building.

John, his sons and his fellow hunters were just saying goodbye to Detective Casey as they were preparing to begin searching the city for their missing family member, when Paul Roche, head of security came rushing toward them. They all turned in the direction of the balding man as he breathlessly come to a halt next to Daniel.

"I found something…" the man wheezed, leaving the others to wonder how an out of shape, overweight man could be head of security at such a large facility.

"What is it?" John asked impatiently when the man didn't elaborate.

"Uh…follow me. I'll show you," Roche said as he brought his breathing under control

The men followed the man down a hall and then through a door labeled 'Security'. He led them to a glass walled room that held several digital screens. He sat down in front of one monitor and pushed a button to begin the digital footage.

"This is from the camera on elevator car #8. It clearly show's our suspect leaving the Observation Ward alone. He gets off on level one. From here we're not sure where he went, but I have to assume he left the hospital," Paul Roche said.

"Is that it? How the hell does that help us?" Dean spat with disgust.

"Uh…no…that's not it. The next footage is what I really think you should see," the man replied curtly.

"Well, why didn't you just show us it to begin with? My brother's out there somewhere and you're wasting our time!" Dean cried.

"Dean…" John started.

"It's okay Mr. Winchester, I understand his frustration," Paul Roche said.

The man hit a few more buttons and suddenly the scene popped up on the screen before them. It was an overhead shot and was outdoors as the shot showed a sidewalk with bushes and flowerbeds lining either side. A door suddenly opened beneath the camera and soon a huddled figure emerged onto the sidewalk.

"Sammy…" Daniel whispered as he stared at the screen.

Sam moved slowly, one arm wrapped protectively across his stomach. He was hunched over, his abdomen obviously too painful to allow him to stand straight. He was dressed in his own clothing, save for one very noticeable exception. Sam's feet were bare. They could only guess that perhaps it was too painful to bend over enough to put his shoes on. Sam eventually crept out of the line of the camera and Roche clicked the feed off.

"Now, he was headed toward the parking lot and we picked him up again a few moments later…" the man said as he loaded another feed for them to watch.

Sam was suddenly seen walking gingerly across the parking lot. The visitor parking lot was virtually deserted save for the Impala, a gray van a few spaces away and a few more cars sprinkled throughout the lot. Sam stopped briefly at the Impala and then turned to look quickly at the hospital, the look on his face breaking the Winchester men's hearts. It was quick and not too close, but they could clearly see the confusion and pain. Sam started walking again, skirting around the gray van before finally coming to the street and disappearing from view.

"Okay, so he made it to Soquel Drive, but from there we can't tell where he went. It's possible he hailed a cab, but we don't know as we don't have any cameras out that far," Paul Roche said.

"Don't worry about that. You've been a huge help. Now we know that Sam left on his own and the general direction he's heading," John said, shaking the man's hand as he rose from his chair.

The group moved out of the security office and back to the main lobby of the hospital. Detective Casey bid the hunters farewell then retrieved his cell phone to call in for a search to begin in the area for the wayward teenager. John and the rest of the hunters walked out into the parking lot, discussing their next move.

"Caleb, you and Joshua head west and the boys and I will head east. Check in every ten minutes. We need to find Sammy before Wilcox does," John instructed.

The hunters nodded at one another then split up, Caleb and Joshua heading to Caleb's SUV and John and his sons going to the Impala. Tension was high in both vehicles as they tore out of the parking lot, as all occupants knew how high the stakes were.

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"Son of a bitch!" Dean cried with frustration, his fist slamming down on the seat back of he seat in front of him.

"Dean…settle down…" John said evenly, gazing intently at his son through the rear view mirror.

"It's been nearly two hours Dad! We still don't know where Sammy is. Anything could have happened to him…" Dean replied in defense.

"We'll find him Dean…don't worry," Daniel said softly.

"Don't worry? You saw the times on those recordings Dan. Wilcox only missed Sam by ten minutes. If he happened to see him when he left, then he could have him and we…" Dean paused, the enormity of the situation taking away his ability to breathe.

"Dean? You okay son?" John asked, his voice laced with concern.

Dean willed himself to calm down. He raised his eyes up to find Daniel turned around in his seat, his worried eyes glued on his younger brother. Dean noticed tears in Daniel's eyes and knew his older brother was feeling just as panicked and helpless as he was. He couldn't imagine how his father was feeling. Last year, when they'd nearly lost Sam to Michael Wilcox, they'd nearly lost John too. Dean had never seen the man so lost. He turned his eyes to his father and could see the shudders that worked their way through the man's normally steadfast body. Dean pulled himself together, sitting up straighter in his seat. They had to all pull it together if they were going to find Sam.

"I'm okay Dad. Sorry. We need to think. The kid hasn't gone home and probably won't. He thinks we betrayed him. Where else would he go? He didn't have shoes on so how far could he get on foot?" Dean reasoned, his father and brother listening intently.

"Maybe he got a cab. He probably had some cash in his wallet," Daniel offered.

"Yeah…but where would he go?" John asked.

"A friends house maybe?" Daniel replied.

"Uh…I don't know…maybe. Wait!" Dean cried.

"What Dean? What is it?" John questioned.

"Why didn't we think of this before?" Dean said softly.

"Think of what Dean?" Daniel asked.

"Dad…I think I know where Sam went…"

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**Earlier**

Sam crept along the side of the hospital building, his arm held tightly across his stomach. His side hurt like a bitch and he felt like he had a marching band pounding it's beat inside his head. The cool night air chilled the sweat that clung to his thin frame and he shivered fervently despite the escalating fever that ravaged his body. He stopped suddenly and reached out to lean on a concrete bench that sat at the corner of the building. The drugs he had been given were not completely out of his system yet and it made him dizzy and made his mind hazy and confused.

Once Sam felt steady again he let go of the bench and started across the nearly deserted parking lot. He stopped when his eyes fell upon the Impala and tears welled as he realized his family was at he hospital and hadn't deserted him as he had originally thought when he first awakened, alone and strapped to his hospital bed. Sam momentarily considered going back in the hospital to find his family, but quickly dismissed it. They had lied to him about Alisa and whether they had deserted him or not, they had still allowed him to be drugged and restrained.

Sam started walking again and skirted around a gray, older model van parked a few spaces away from the Impala. He slowly made his way to the street and turned east, hoping to see a cab or a bus stop so he could get off his cold, bare feet. Sam had been walking for probably ten minutes when suddenly he felt a chill run down his spine. The hairs on his neck inexplicably rose and he felt an overpowering need to get off the street and out of sight. He ducked behind the hedge that grew along the sidewalk and peered fearfully through the leaves, his gaze locking on the street.

Sam drew in a quick breath when he spotted the gray van from the hospital parking lot slowly move up the street. He shuddered at seeing the van and strained to get a glimpse of the driver. Sam flinched back when the van suddenly stopped on the deserted street. He held his breath as the driver exited the vehicle and walked around the front. Sam's heart leapt into his throat when he recognized the person who was now peering intently in the very direction of Sam's hiding place. It was the man who had attacked him. The man who killed Alisa.

Sam's body shook with fury and terror. Part of him wanted to run to the man and make him pay for what he had done, but the terrified part of him won out, thankfully. Sam was in no shape to confront his lover's murderer and would only succeed in getting himself killed too. Sam didn't know how, but he knew he would get his revenge on the man someday. Today wasn't that day though, so Sam stayed as still as he could, praying the man would get into his van and drive away.

Sam sagged in obvious relief when his prayers were finally answered and the man circled back around his van and climbed inside. The man leaned across his seat, throwing one last look in Sam's direction before moving back behind the steering wheel and driving away. Sam sat for several minutes, unable to walk while the trembling in his limbs continued. When he finally felt like he could walk without planting himself right on his face, Sam emerged from his hiding place and once again began walking east.

Sam continued to walk for another twenty minutes or so before he saw a taxi driving toward him. He stepped to the curb and raised his arm, waving it over his head in an attempt to get the driver's attention. He smiled tiredly when the cab made a u-turn and pulled up to the curb beside him. Sam opened the back door, climbed into the back seat and leaned heavily against the door.

"Where to kid?" the older, white haired driver inquired.

"Holy Cross Cemetary," Sam said wearily, his eyes closing as the cab pulled away from the curb.

The driver turned up his radio and eyed the pale boy hunched up next to the door in his back seat. He shook his head then turned to look out his side window, admiring the shiny, black classic car that sped by him. He glanced once more at the boy in the backseat. "Poor kid," he thought, as the boy hadn't even flinched at the loud rumble the black car had made as it roared by.

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Trenton Wilcox left the Winchester boy's room, his rage barely contained at once again being denied what was rightfully his. Sam Winchester had been marked by his father, making the boy his property. When he had died, that had automatically shifted ownership of the boy to him. He was nearly shaking with anger, but put on a smiling face as he walked up to the nurses station to check out of the ward.

"That didn't take long doctor," the older nurse said cheerfully as she handed Wilcox a clipboard.

"Oh…the boy was asleep. I didn't want to disturb him," Wilcox said in a sugary voice, all the while wanting to do nothing but reach across and punch the smile from the old hag's face.

"Have a good night doctor. Try to get some sleep," Marion said as she took the clipboard from the doctor.

"Oh, I plan to. I just have to go out and find something I lost first," Wilcox said, a grin creeping over his face.

Wilcox hurried away and Marion watched after him, a sudden shiver running down her spine. She shook her head and went back to her paperwork. Wilcox stepped up to the elevators and pressed the down button impatiently. He needed to get out there and find the damn brat before anyone else did. He'd make the little ass pay for all the trouble he'd caused him so far.

A soft ding brought his thoughts back to the moment and he stepped into the elevator and pushed the lobby button. The lift took him to the ground floor and he hurried across the foyer and out into the late night air. He rushed to his van, his eyes moving to the black Impala a few spaces away. He smirked as he thought of the Winchesters sitting somewhere in the hospital, hopefully unaware that their precious Sammy had jumped ship and was now out on the streets somewhere just waiting to be taken. At least Wilcox hoped Sam was outside somewhere and not hiding in the hospital somewhere.

Wilcox shook that thought from his head. If the boy had still been inside, he would have to go by the nurses station. He'd have never made it off the ward. Wilcox smiled, assured that the boy was indeed out in the night, alone and injured. He jumped into his van and drove out of the parking lot, turning east, his eyes alert for any sign of his boy.

Wilcox had driven for only a few minutes when he got the sudden urge to stop. He stopped right in the middle of the street and exited his van. He made his way around the front of the vehicle and peered across the other eastbound lane into the hedge that lined the sidewalk. He had a sense that something was there and stood for several minutes watching for movement. Then, as sudden as the feeling came over him, it fled. He no longer sensed a presence and wondered if he should just go over and poke around the hedge a bit. The thought of police coming by and discovering his van drew him away from the hedge and back into his van.

Once in his vehicle Wilcox leaned over the seat for one last look before he lightly shook his head. He straightened up then put the van in gear and drove away. He watched in his side mirrors but nothing emerged from the hedge. He made a left on the next street and continued to look for the boy. His boy. His property.

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**Okay, that guy is all kinds o crazy. More coming tomorrow. I hope to see you there.**

**Cindy**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, here is the next chapter. So, who will find Sam first? Read on.**

**Cindy.**

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For nearly two hours Trenton Wilcox drove around, his eyes searching every darkened alley and doorway. It seemed as though Sam Winchester had vanished, but Wilcox believed with utter certainty that the boy belonged to him and that he would find him. His anger and yearning grew with each passing minute. His hands twitched with anticipation of finally being able to touch the boy. To hurt the boy.

Wilcox had wanted to kill the kid that night in the park, but when he didn't die, he realized he was being given a bigger opportunity. Suddenly he knew it wasn't enough for the boy to just die. The boy had to be made to realize what he had done and that he had to be punished for it. He wanted the kid to suffer. He wanted him to beg for death. First the boy had seduced his father; blinded him to how dangerous he was. Then the boy had killed his father, not once, but twice. He would pay dearly for that.

Wilcox swerved quickly as his mind came back to the present and he saw a streetlight looming dangerously ahead as his van sped toward it. He slammed on his brakes and collapsed back in his seat once the van was stopped. His eyes darted left to right and fell upon a billboard advertising a local funeral parlor. Suddenly, a light went on in Wilcox's head. He knew where the boy had gone. He mentally kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. He'd been at the girl's funeral. He'd stayed back as far as possible but not so far away that he couldn't see the girl's family. He needed to see their pain; see their suffering. He needed to drink it in, feel the power it created coursing through his body.

Wilcox had nearly fled the cemetery when the Winchester men had shown up, but the pull of the grieving family was too much. He had tried to blend in as much as possible and had hurried away as soon as the committal was finished. He'd hidden behind a large gravestone and watched as Sam's father and brother talked to the grieving parents, the mother clutching tightly to what Wilcox realized was the pink sweater the girl had been wearing the night he killed her. He had pulled his camera from his jacket pocket and snapped several pictures before hurrying away.

Wilcox eased his foot off the brake and pushed down on the gas pedal, a smile on his lips as he now had a destination to head to. His only fear now was that the Winchesters would figure it out and get to Sam before he could. "That won't happen," he whispered to himself as he pushed his foot down more heavily on the gas pedal.

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**Earlier**

The taxi came to a halt at the east entrance to Holy Cross Cemetery. The driver turned in his seat and looked upon the sleeping boy. He reached over the seat and grabbed the kids knee, shaking it lightly.

"Hey kid…wake up. We're here," he called, pulling his hand quickly away when the kid jerked away, his eyes filled with panic.

"Huh? Wh-what?" Sam cried, his unfocused eyes falling on the startled cab driver.

"Uh…we're here. Holy Cross Cemetery, like you asked," the man said hastily.

Sam turned and looked out the side window them returned his now clear eyes back to the driver. "Oh…uh…sorry. G-guess I fell asleep. Um…how much for the ride?" he asked softly.

The driver looked around at the meter then turned back to Sam. "$12.50 will do it," he answered.

Sam arched his hips off the seat, hissing as pain spread through his side enough to make him see stars. He took a few quick breaths then slid his hand in his jeans pocket. He pulled out some bills, counted out three fives and handed them to the driver. "Keep the change," he instructed as he opened the door and eased his way out of the car, wincing at the movement.

"Hey kid…are you okay? You don't look so hot…" the cabbie queried, eyeing Sam with concern.

"I-I'm fine sir. Thank you. I'll be okay," Sam answered breathlessly.

The cabbie looked unconvinced as he continued to watch Sam. "Are you sure? You don't look well. What are you doing out here this late anyway? Where's your family?" he asked.

"My family? Uh…they're…I gotta go. Thanks again for the ride," Sam hedged as he slammed the door shut.

Sam stood there, nervously watching as the cabbie seemed to debate about what he should do. Finally, to Sam's relief, he shook his head then turned and pulled away from the curb. Sam turned when the taxi was out of sight and sighed as he gazed upon the closed gate that blocked the entrance to the cemetery. It wasn't too high to climb, but would be a little more daunting with a knife wound and surgical incision in his abdomen.

Sam walked to the gate and reached up with one hand, grasping the top bar and pulling himself up. He held his side tightly as he slowly climbed the gate then slung one leg over to the other side. He sat for a minute, hunched over and panting as the pain washed over him in waves. He steadied himself then placed his foot on the lower bar, stood up and pulled his other leg over. He started to climb down, but he missed the bar with his left foot and suddenly found himself dropping from the gate and hitting the ground hard. He rolled to his back, his arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and started to slowly trail down into his already sweat dampened hair.

"Ahhh…guh…" Sam groaned as he tried to push the pain to the back of his mind.

Sam lay on the ground, panting and moaning until the pain began to ebb away into a dull throb. He slowly rolled to his knees and carefully pushed up from the ground. He leaned against the gate as dizziness assaulted him, his eyes clenched tightly shut. Once the dizziness retreated, Sam pushed away from the gate and stumbled awkwardly down the road into the cemetery. He'd been here once, with Alisa. He'd accompanied her when she came to put flowers on her grandparent's graves. She's explained to him that her grandparents shared the same birthday and that she had been coming to put flowers on their graves on that day for the past three years since both were buried after dying in a car accident.

The Chambers' had a family plot and Sam assumed that Alisa would be buried there with her relatives. He made his way slowly through the graveyard until he spotted the large angel sculpture they had turned at on that earlier visit. It took Sam another ten minutes to find the Chambers' plots and he couldn't hold in the sob when his eyes fell upon Alisa's name etched on an ornate, granite headstone.

Sam collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his hot, flushed cheeks. He reached out trembling fingers and ran them reverently over the etched letters. He whispered softly the name he loved so much.

"Alisa Emily Chambers…Beloved daughter and sister…Taken too soon…Our angel on earth now an angel in heaven…Born April 11, 1983…Died May 25, 2000…" Sam sobbed as he read the word that meant he would never hold his Alisa in his arms again.

Sam sank to the grass, his eyes falling to the many flowers that adorned the grave. So many had loved Alisa, but none, other than her family, more than Sam. Sam leaned his shoulder against the headstone as his hand fell to rest on the grass near his knees. He felt a great emptiness inside and that emptiness began to fill with an ache that no medication could take away. Sam knew he deserved the pain he felt. It was his fault Alisa was buried in the earth. His fault she was dead.

Sam closed his eyes tight and let the pain and guilt wash over him. He didn't deserve relief and wouldn't allow himself any. He should be the one forever trapped beneath the ground, not his beautiful, precious Alisa. The thought of her alone and cold broke the boy into a million pieces and he sagged weakly against the headstone.

"I'm s-so sorry Alisa. I-I love you so much. I never should've…let myself l-love you…my fault…" Sam sobbed, his hand digging into the grass and dirt.

"P-please God…please take me and…bring her back. She didn't deserve to die. She…she's everything good and light and I'm…I'm nothing. I'm tainted…cursed," Sam pled as he slid across the surface of the headstone to the ground, welcoming the pain that sliced through him.

Sam lay with his face buried in the cool grass, his cheeks red and tear stained. His hand pulled convulsively at the grass as he continued to sob, his body trembling.

"Please…if you can't bring her back…take me too. I-I don't want to be here…I don't deserve to be here. Please God…please…"

Sam's sobs subsided and he turned his head until his cheek lay on the cool ground. Glassy, watery eyes stared unblinking across the cemetery grounds. They slowly began to close as Sam welcomed the darkness that was closing in around him. His last thought before the darkness claimed him was how he hoped he would never wake up.

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**Later**

Trenton Wilcox pulled his van into the cover of the trees that lined the west side of Holy Cross Cemetery. He pushed his door open and exited the van then quickly walked to the back and pulled the doors open. He reached in the van and pulled out a duffel bag. He opened the bag to make sure he had everything he'd need. The bag contained a roll of duct tape, pre-cut lengths of rope, a baggie with chloroform soaked cloths, and a fluid filled syringe. Wilcox smiled as he zipped the bag closed. He reached across the floor and picked up the ropes that he had already secured to metal hooks in the van's floor, then pulled away and quietly shut the doors.

He picked up the duffel bag then made sure he had his camera in his jacket before moving toward the cemetery. The west side was surrounded by a tall hedge and Wilcox was happy when he quickly found an opening in the hedge large enough for him to squeeze through. He tossed his duffel through first, then pushed his way through. He once again picked up his bag and hurried through the cemetery, nearly giddy with joy. He hadn't seen any other vehicles when he circled the cemetery and was certain he was the only one here aside from the boy.

Wilcox smiled as he made his way silently through the headstones. Tonight the boy would finally be his and he could hardly contain himself. He would make the boy suffer, make it last for days before he finally squeezed the life from him. He could feel his hands wrapped tightly around the boys throat, could see the life leaving his eyes. And finally, when the boy was dead, he would dump his ruined body on the Winchester's doorstep, all the while waiting in the shadows so he could see their faces when they found their precious Sammy, broken and lifeless.

Wilcox shook himself from his morbid thoughts and continued on his way. His quarry wasn't far away now and he trembled with the excitement of finally recovering what was rightfully his.

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**Um....cliffy anyone? LOL Please review and then come back later for the next chapter. Take care.**

**Cindy.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here is the next chapter folks. I hope you like it.**

**Cindy.**

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"Where Dean? Where do you think Sam is?" John queried expectantly.

"Where was Sam trying to go before they tricked us and stole him away?" Dean questioned back.

"Alisa. He wanted to see Alisa," Daniel answered, turning his eyes on Dean.

"You think he's at the cemetery?" John asked.

"He's not at home. Where else would he go?" Dean reasoned.

"The cemetery is only a few miles away. We can be there is five minutes," John said as he made a sharp right, his foot pressing down heavily on the gas pedal.

The Impala sped through the night, the three occupants praying that they found their youngest, most vulnerable family member before Trenton Wilcox did. They screeched to a halt five minutes later at the entrance to the cemetery and all three men jumped from the car and sprinted for the locked gate. The hunters halted, glancing to either side of the gate for any kind of opening.

"If Sam's here, how the hell, in his condition, did he get in?" Daniel questioned.

"Hopefully he found an easier way in. I can't imagine him going over the gate," John replied worriedly.

"Come on, we'll figure that out later. Let's find Sammy," Dean shot as he began to easily scale the gate.

Dean dropped noiselessly to the other side just as the two older men reached the top of the gate. They dropped next to Dean and all turned to stare into the moon lit graveyard. Daniel's eyes dropped for a moment and his eyebrows arched. He knelt down then reached his hand out toward the gravel they stood upon.

"Hey…look's like Sammy may have come this way after all. The ground's disturbed right here," he said, turning his face up to look at his father and brother.

John and Dean stared down at the spot Daniel indicated, clearly able to make out the scuff marks in the rocky dirt.

"Shit Sam! You climbed that gate with barefeet and your side all full of holes?" Dean whispered with exasperation.

"Let's go boys. I have a bad feeling that Sammy needs us right now!" John said, his hand reaching back to finger the glock shoved securely under his waistband.

The two younger Winchesters nodded as they too checked their weapons. The three hunters crept quickly into the cemetery with one mission and one mission only. Find their missing boy and bring him back to safety.

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Trenton Wilcox halted his rushed progress and glanced around at his surroundings carefully. He smiled when he recognized the small crypt to his right. The girl's grave was just on the other side of the crypt and he could sense that Sam Winchester was there. He crept silently to the back of he crypt then eased his way along the side, stopping as he reached the front corner. He peered around the corner and sucked in an excited breath as his eyes fell upon the huddled, still form that lay on the grass just fifty feet away.

From where he crouched, Wilcox couldn't tell if the boy was unconscious or merely sleeping. Hell, it was possible the kid wasn't even alive with how still he was. Wilcox retrieved his camera from his jacket pocket and snapped a few photos before stepping from the cover of the crypt and striding willfully toward where Sam lay, not worried about alerting the brat to his presence. He knew without a doubt that he could easily overpower the boy if need be, and he had everything he would need to subdue and restrain the kid.

Wilcox stepped up to the fresh grave and stood glaring down at the oblivious teen. He dropped his duffel at his feet, noting that the kid didn't flinch a bit. He stared at the pale face, or at least the part he could see, as most of the kid's face was obscured by the grass he lay upon and also by the unruly mop of hair that fell limply over his eyes. Wilcox aimed his camera and snapped a few more photos of the prone teen then dropped easily to his knees and reached out toward Sam's neck, smiling as a steady thump met his fingertips.

Wilcox reached for his duffel, unzipping the bag and reaching in, his fingers easily finding the roll of duct tape. He pulled the tape from the bag and set it on the ground before reaching in to find the prepared syringe. He set that down also then grabbed Sam's arm, his fingers circling around his forearm, hissing a bit at the heat that radiated from the boy's skin through his longsleeved shirt. He reached into his jeans pocket to retrieve his pocket knife in order to cut Sam's sleeve, needing to administer the drug into the boy's vein at the crook of his elbow.

A soft, almost undetectable sound caught Wilcox's attention and he dropped Sam's arm as he jerked his head up, his eyes searching the graveyard for the source of the sound. He stood slowly, his eyes straining against the darkness. He turned his head slightly to the left and that's when he saw them. Three shadowy figures were moving quickly in his direction; in the boy's direction. Wilcox knew immediately who the figures were and he cursed under his breath at the intrusion.

The angry man glared down at the boy who lay at his feet. He would never have time to spirit the kid away. He dropped quickly and grabbed up the duct tape, shoving it into the duffel. He tossed his camera in the bag then, in a fit of rage, kicked out at Sam, his foot connecting with the boy's ribs. Sam cried out softly, but didn't wake.

Wilcox turned and rushed away, circling around the side of the crypt just as the three figures came around a large headstone just on the other side of where Sam lay. Wilcox took a moment to peer out as the three older Winchester men rushed to Sam's side, their surprised cries reaching Wilcox's ears just as he turned to make his way back the way he came, pissed off and empty handed.

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John and his boys stepped around a large headstone, their eyes and ears ever alert for any kind of danger. It was Daniel's alarmed cry that brought the other two men's attention front and center.

"Sammy! Oh God…" Daniel yelped, springing forward and sprinting to where his baby brother lay sprawled on his side at the base of Alisa Chambers' headstone.

Daniel dropped to his knees beside his still brother, his fingers instantly reaching for Sam's throat, his shoulders dropping with relief when he found a steady pulse. He felt his father and brother step up behind him and looked over as John kneeled down beside him, his tortured eyes scanning over Sam's limp body. John cupped Sam's exposed cheek then moved to his damp forehead.

"Is he okay Dad? Is Sammy okay?" Dean asked nervously as he leaned over his father and brother to get a good look at his baby brother.

"I don't know Dean. We have to get him out of here though, he's burning up," John answered as his hands moved expertly over Sam's upper body.

Sam was lying on his side, his knees bent and his torso twisted so his chest lay flat on the ground. His right arm rested on the ground, stretched out down the length of his back while his left arm lay draped protectively over Alisa's grave, his fingers gripping the grass even in his unconscious state.

"Here boys, help me get him on his back. His body twisted like that has to be hurting his incision," John instructed as he moved to Sam's head.

Dean dropped down between John and Daniel, his right hand reaching behind Sam's back, his left hand gently sliding under Sam's side. Daniel moved to Sam's legs and once all three men were in position they gently lifted and turned the unconscious boy before lowering him back to the grass onto his back. Dean quickly removed his light jacket and rested it over Sam's chest. He reached up and brushed sweat dampened bangs out of Sam's eyes.

"Sammy…wake up kiddo. You've slept long enough little brother," Dean said softly as he tapped Sam's flushed cheek.

Sam's eyes twitched and he moved his head ever so slightly at the sudden touch.

John leaned over his son, his hand cupping Sam's cheek. "Come on son…wake up," the man pled, his thumb rubbing softly over Sam's cheekbone.

"Unnnnn…" Sam moaned, his eyelids fluttering, his lips slightly parted.

"That's it Sam! Come on…" Daniel cried, his hand gently squeezing Sam's knee.

Sam's eyes slowly opened, the hazel orbs moving sluggishly to each man that hovered above him.

"D-Dad?" his weak voice queried as his eyes settled on the man at his head.

"Yeah Sammy…it's Dad. You okay kiddo?" John replied, his lips curling into a warm smile as his fingers brushed through his baby's messy hair.

"Mmmmmm…hurts," Sam whispered breathlessly.

"What hurts Sammy?" Daniel asked.

"R-ribs…everything," Sam replied tiredly.

Dean carefully reached out and lifted Sam's shirt, all three men hissing when they saw the large bruise that was forming on the left side of Sam's ribcage.

"How the hell did that happen? It looks like he was hit or kicked," Daniel cried.

"What happened Sammy? Did someone do that to you?" John asked, anger evident in his voice.

"Don't know…C-cold…" Sam whispered.

Daniel looked down, his eyes glimpsing something just inches from Dean's feet. He reached out, picking the item up, his eyes widening as realization hit.

"Uh…Dad? Look at this," he said urgently.

Daniel held the item out to his father, his arm reaching across Dean, whose eyes widened as he saw said item. John took the item from Daniel, the implications of the discovery slamming into him like a freight train.

"A syringe? Where did that come from? It's full of…something," Dean said worriedly.

"Well, I don't see Sam getting it. That can mean only one thing," John said cautiously, his hand moving behind him and pulling his glock from his waistband.

John stood and surveyed their surroundings carefully. He moved toward the crypt that stood about fifty feet away and peered around the side. He backpeddled to his sons when he saw nothing.

"Dad? Do you think Wilcox was here?" Daniel asked, his voice thick with fear.

"That's exactly what I think. We must have interrupted him. I think he gave Sam that bruise too," John answered, his voice low and dangerous.

"W-Wilcox? What? H-how?" came Sam's weak, confused voice.

"We'll explain everything later Sammy. Right now we need to get you back to the hospital," John said, looking down at his feverish son.

"N-no! I can't leave Alisa," Sam cried weakly as he tried to rise up from the ground.

A firm hand pushed down on his chest and Sam looked up, his eyes watery and pleading.

"Stay still Sam. Let us get you up," Dean said softly.

"She'll be alone…c-can't leave her," Sam pled, tears welling in his weary eyes.

"Sammy…you're very sick. We have to get you back to the hospital," Daniel said softly, his own teary eyes resting on his brother's flushed face.

"No…please Daddy…can you just take me home? D-don't wanna be strapped down again. Don't wanna be alone…" Sam beseeched, his words dying off as his eyes closed once again.

"Sam? Hey…wake up Sammy," Dean cried as Sam's head rolled to the side.

"Just let him be Dean. It'll be easier to get him out of here if he's not fighting us," John said as he shoved the syringe in his jacket pocket and his glock back in his waistband.

Dean nodded then pushed his arm under Sam's shoulders. He then guided his other arm under Sam's knees and carefully raised Sam up from the ground. He pushed back onto his feet and with his father's and brother's help he stood, his baby brother pulled protectively to his chest. The three men began the trek back to the gate, their youngest family member once again back in the safety of his brother's arms. Sam slowly woke up, his head rolling weakly on Dean's shoulder. His soft moan had Dean looking worriedly down at his pale face.

"'lisa?" Sam whispered with confusion.

"Shhhh Sammy…go back to sleep kiddo," Dean cooed softly.

"Why did you let them do that to me?" Sam asked, his voice barely audible.

"Do what Sammy?" John asked as he reached up to gently brush some hair from Sam's eyes.

"Take me 'way. Th-they strapped me down…s-said I couldn't see anyone…Why did you let them do that?" Sam slurred, his eyes barely open.

"We didn't Sammy…we didn't know they were going to do that," Daniel answered, his heart racing in his chest.

"Oh…mmmmm…tired…" Sam said, his eyes closing as his head lolled back on Dean's arm.

The three worried hunters glanced at each other, John and Daniel on either side of Dean, their hands supporting Dean's arms as he carried their precious burden. Once the men reached the gate, they recognized their dilemma. How were they going to get Sam to the Impala with the locked gate standing in their way? John stepped up to the gate, examining the locking mechanism closely. He turned to his son's, his eyes falling to his unconscious baby boy.

"I can't pick this. We're going to have to get him over the gate somehow," John said wearily.

"I'll climb over the gate. Dad, you climb to the top and have Dean lift Sam up to you, then you lower him to me," Daniel said.

"That'll have to work…" Dean said as he stared at his dad.

John nodded and watched as Daniel scaled the gate and dropped to the sidewalk on the other side. John climbed to the top and swung his leg over. Once he was seated securely, Dean stepped up to the gate and began to lift his brother toward his father's waiting arms. Daniel reached his arms through the gate to add his strength to Dean's shaking arms. John reached down and hooked his arms under Sam's back and legs and with his older son's stabilizing hands, he lifted his baby to his chest, then turned and lowered Sam down to Daniel's outstretched arms. Dean scaled the gate and quickly dropped to the other side, helping his father lower Sam.

Once Sam was safely in his oldest brother's arms, John climbed down and met his sons on the sidewalk. The men quickly made their way to the Impala and Dean whisked open the back door then helped Daniel slide onto the seat, his hand guiding his brothers in safely. He rushed to the other back door after closing his brothers in and climbed in beside them, his fingers immediately brushing through Sam's damp hair. John slid in behind the wheel and turned to look over the seat.

"You boys ready?" he queried as he started the engine, the familiar rumble comforting the three men immediately.

"We're ready. Hurry Dad…Sam's not looking too good," Daniel answered, his eyes never leaving his baby brother's lax, pale face.

John nodded and put the pedal to the metal, the car's tires squealing as he sped down the street. He retrieved his cellphone and quickly dialed Dr. Heely's number from memory, alerting the doctor of their impending arrival. He hung up with the doctor then dialed Detective Casey's number. He filled the officer in then hung up, tossing his phone on the seat next to him. He listened as Dean contacted Caleb and Joshua, then Bobby.

Within fifteen minutes, the Impala screeched into the hospital parking lot and came to a screaming stop at the curb outside the ER doors. John jumped from the car and quickly opened the back door, helping Daniel by taking Sam from his protective arms. The older brothers exited the car and rushed to their father and all three men hurried through the doors, Sam held securely in his father's loving arms, his brothers walking protectively on either side.

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**Well, there you go. And no cliffy! Please review.**

**Cindy.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Wow, that last chapter really hit a nerve. I'm a grinning idiot! Here is the next chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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Trenton Wilcox slammed through the door of the small warehouse he called home. His face was a deep crimson and his body shook with unbridled fury at once again being denied what was rightfully his. Sam Winchester had been right there, his for the taking. He'd had his hands on the boy and everything had been working out until the kid's family had shown up and ruined it all. Someone was always showing up and saving that little piece of shit.

Wilcox stormed across the open area of the warehouse to a metal door and pulled the door open revealing a set of narrow stairs leading down into darkness. He flipped a switch just inside the door and the stairs were immediately illuminated. He stomped down the stairs, his anger building as each foot landed. Once at the bottom of the stairs he came to another door. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the padlock that secured the door. He pushed the door open, felt along the inside wall until he found the light switch and soon the small room was bathed in light.

Wilcox hurried into the small living space. A full sized bed was pushed against one wall. The opposite wall was a kitchenette. A sitting area was set up in between the bed and the kitchen area, complete with a recliner and small TV. Wilcox rushed through the room to yet another padlocked door. He reached in his pocket for another key and unlocked the padlock. He pushed through the door and flipped another light switch, illuminating his 'guest room'. The room that should be holding Sam Winchester now.

Wilcox walked to the chair in the center of the room, the attached restraints lying open and ready. The rage filled man kicked the chair, sending it crashing across the room and into the far wall. He turned and left the room, the door remaining wide open. He strolled to the kitchenette and glanced down at a tray that sat on the counter. Several knives and medical instruments lie on the tray and Wilcox reached down to pick up the biggest knife. He ran his thumb along the sharp blade bringing out a thin line of blood. He brought his thumb to his mouth and licked the blood hungrily.

Wilcox turned to the wall where the door to his 'special' room stood and smiled coldly. His eyes fell to one particular spot on the wall and his smile turned evil. He moved closer to the wall, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"I will have you Sammy boy. You will be mine and you will suffer for what you have done to me!" Wilcox hissed, his hand suddenly driving the large knife deep into the wall.

Trenton Wilcox stepped back, his eyes transfixed on the knife that had been stuck right between the bright, hazel eyes of the boy whose image smiled out from a picture tacked to the wall. The deranged man scanned his eyes over the entire wall. A wall covered, floor to ceiling with hundreds of pictures of Sam Winchester.

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John, Dean and Daniel paced the latest waiting room they found themselves in as they impatiently waited for word about their Sam. It had been a little over an hour since they burst through the ER doors, screaming for Dr. Heely, an unconscious Sam draped in his father's arms. Sam had been taken from his father and John and his frantic sons had been ushered to the waiting area while Dr. Heely was being paged. Dr. Heely had stopped by the waiting area for a quick rundown on what had happened before hurrying away to check on his young patient.

John had already spoken with Detective Casey when the man had shown up and the detective had left without any new information to help him with his investigation. Caleb, Joshua and Bobby were at the Winchester home getting some much needed rest before hitting the streets again. John had tried to get his boys to go home too but immediately realized his mistake when they both turned on him, incredulous eyes staring wide. John had lifted his hands in surrender, chuckling lightly to himself.

That's where they were at the moment, all three men pacing nervously as the minutes ticked by. Daniel suddenly stopped and faced his father.

"Wilcox was right there Dad. He hurt Sam…again," Daniel said softly.

"I know Daniel…I know," John answered solemnly.

"That syringe. He was going to…Dad, he was going to…" Daniel said, turning his head when Dean gripped his arm.

"He didn't Dan. We didn't give him the chance," the younger brother said.

"If…if we hadn't gotten there when we did…Sam would be…oh God Dean…he'd be gone," Daniel cried, a shudder quaking through his body.

"But we did get there Dan…we did get there and Sam's okay," John comforted, his own nerves fraying.

"We hope Dad. We don't know yet if he's okay. How…how could he possibly be okay?" Daniel said, his eyes pleading with his father.

"Of course he's okay Dan. We got there in time. We…" Dean started.

"We lied to him about Alisa. We basically handed him over to this hospital…let them strap him to his bed. W-we almost let Wilcox…," Daniel cried.

"Daniel…" John said.

"This is our fault. We should have looked into Michael Wilcox's backround. We should have known about his son! We let Sam down…we should have protected him better."

"Stop Dan! Just…stop," Dean cried.

"Daniel, we had no reason to check Wilcox's backround. He was dead…Sam was safe," John said.

"Safe? Sam was never safe Dad. He hasn't been safe a day in his life. Not since the night Mom died."

"Danny…we do the best we can," Dean said.

"It's not enough."

As John opened his mouth to speak he spied Dr. Heely hurrying their way. Dean and Daniel noticed the doctor also and all three Winchesters rushed to meet him halfway.

"Doctor, how is Sam?" John queried urgently as he stepped up to the harried looking man.

"He's resting. He's just been situated in a private room. You can all go sit with him now," Dr. Heely answered.

"Okay…he's resting, but how is he?" Dean asked.

"He's got a high grade fever. He's sitting at 104.9 degrees. We've got him on a heavy regimen of antibiotics. I checked his incision and stab wound and everything is okay there," the doctor replied.

"Why was he so out of it? And what about his ribs?" Daniel asked.

"Well…the high fever for one thing. He was off his pain meds and had to have been in a lot of pain. I believe shock played a big roll also. Now, his ribs…while they are seriously bruised and will be very painful, they pose no threat to his health," Dr. Heely answered.

"So, he's going to be okay?" John asked.

"He'll be fine. We just need to get his fever down."

"So, can we talk about him going home?" Dean queried.

"Oh…well, I think it's a bit early to start talking about Sam's release. We need to get him eating. We need to get his fever down…"

"He wants to go home doc. We can take care of him there," Daniel said.

"Why don't I take you to see him and we can talk about this later," Dr. Heely replied.

The three hunters nodded and followed the doctor and five minutes later they were stepping through the door to Sam's room.

"I'll leave you alone for now," Dr. Heely said, shaking John's hand as he turned to leave the room.

"Thanks Dr. Heely," John said, turning to the bed when the door closed behind the doctor.

John joined Dean and Daniel at Sam's bedside, his eyes taking in his baby's pale face. Daniel was holding Sam's hand in his, his thumb rubbing absently over his knuckles. Dean rested his hand on Sam's forehead and shook his head at the heat he felt. Sam began to softly mumble in his sleep and his family leaned in so they could hear his muffled words.

"Uhnnnnnn…please…bring her back…'lease…take me…don' wanna wake up. M'fault…all m'fault…Mom…'lisa…m'fault…" Sam muffled, his head rolling from side to side on his pillow.

Dean stepped out of the way as John pushed forward, his large hand cupping Sam's cheek.

"Shhhh Sammy…nothing's your fault baby. Nothing's your fault…" he whispered.

Sam leaned into John's touch, still mumbling, his words incoherent. John thumbed away a tear that trailed down Sam's cheek. He glanced around when Dean pushed a chair up behind him.

"Sit Dad. You look like you're gonna keel over," Dean said.

John nodded and sat down. Dean and Daniel found seats and collapsed into them. All three men were exhausted, none of them having any kind of quality sleep since Sam was attacked.

"Dad, what are we gonna do? This Trenton Wilcox isn't gonna give up and we have no idea where to find him. How are we gonna keep Sam safe?" Daniel asked wearily.

"First, we get him healthy, then we get him home where we have total control over who gets near him. I don't know how yet, but we will get Wilcox. He won't get his hands on Sammy again," John said with certainty.

"Okay Dad…okay," Daniel replied.

"You boys get some sleep. I'll keep watch over Sam," John instructed, his eyes moving back to his youngest son.

"Dad, you need sleep too…" Dean argued.

"I know Dean, but…he's my son. My baby. I just need to watch him, okay? I'll sleep later…you two sleep now," John said as he leaned against the bed, his elbows resting on the mattress.

"Okay Dad…g'night…" Dean said, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.

Daniel leaned back too and soon both brothers were snoring lightly. John reached over and brushed his fingers through Sam's damp hair, his eyes lingering on Sam's face.

"I'm sorry Sam. I didn't protect you a year ago and you paid the price. Now you're paying again. I promise, I will protect you this time. I will protect you…"

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**There you go. No cliffy. There will be plenty of those in the future! Another chapter will be coming up later.**

**Cindy.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Here is the next chapter guys. I hope you enjoy. Just a bit of brotherly fluff for you.**

**Cindy.**

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**The Following Evening**

Sam sat propped up in his bed, a tray of food waiting to be touched sat on the table in front of him. Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, his attention divided between his baby brother and the men gathered across the room. Dean dozed in a chair on the other side of Sam, his legs stretched out in front of him, his arms folded over his stomach. A soft sigh brought Daniel's attention fully back to his brother. He leaned forward so he could see Sam's face and frowned slightly when Sam turned his head, averting his eyes.

"Sam?" Daniel queried, leaning over further.

Sam's head rolled slightly Daniel's way, but his eyes continued to look the other way. Daniel reached over and cupped Sam's cheek then gently pulled the teen's face around, sighing when Sam's eyes dropped to his hands that rested in his lap.

"Sam…look at me," Daniel said softly, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth when Sam continued to avoid his eyes. "Sam…please…just talk to me."

Sam's gaze remained locked on his hands for a few moments before he finally lifted his eyes to Daniel's face. Daniel smiled softly and lowered his hand from Sam's face. He turned his attention momentarily away when John and the other three hunters quietly left the room. Once the door was pulled closed, Daniel turned back to Sam.

"Sam…" he started.

"'M sorry," Sam whispered, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"What are you sorry for Sam? You have nothing to be sorry for kiddo," Daniel replied as he took Sam's hand in his.

Sam's eyes fell once more to his lap and he shook his head slightly. "I…I took off. I scared you all. I just…I had to see her, Daniel. I…um…I didn't want to wake up…I wanted to be with Alisa…"

Daniel felt the sting of tears as he listened to the pain in his baby brother's voice. He softly squeezed Sam's hand as he breathed in deeply, attempting to harness his emotions before speaking. Finally, in a shaky voice he answered.

"Sammy…I know it hurts. I wish I could take that pain away, but I can't. But squirt, you have to know that we love you…we need you. You can't give up and you can't take off like that. We could have lost you…"

"Danny…I'm sorry…I…" Sam muffled miserably.

"We'd never make it without you Sam. Dad, Dean…me? You are everything to us kiddo. Absolutely everything. Without you we'd lose everything that keeps us grounded…everything that keeps us…human. You are our conscience. You are our humanity."

Sam raised his beautiful, expressive eyes to meet Daniel's tear filled ones. His own tears spilled over to trail down his flushed cheeks. Daniel reached up and took Sam's face in his hands, his thumbs softly brushing the tears from his cheeks. He dipped his head and rested his forehead against Sam's.

"Sam, I'm sorry we lied to you. I wish we would have trusted our instincts and just told you about Alisa, but we thought we were doing what was best for you," Daniel said softly.

"Danny…the man who killed Alisa? We have to find him. We have to make him pay…" Sam whispered.

"Our first priority is keeping him away from you Sam. He's still trying to get to you," Daniel said as he pulled away from his brother.

"Is it Wilcox again? How is he back Danny?" Sam cried fearfully.

Daniel lifted his eyes, suddenly noticing Dean's eyes open, his body sitting straight up in his chair. He nodded as Dean stood and sat on the other side of Sam. Sam rolled his head toward the middle brother when he felt a gentle touch on his arm. Dean pushed the table that held Sam's dinner toward the foot of the bed and scooted further onto the bed.

"It's not Michael Wilcox. He's dead Sam and he's not coming back," Dean said softly.

"Th-then who? He looks like Michael Wilcox…just younger…" Sam queried nervously.

"Uh…I think we should wait for Dad…" Dean said.

"Just tell me…please…" Sam pled.

Dean glanced at Daniel and nodded softly. Daniel grasped Sam's arm, bringing the teen's attention back to him.

"Sam…we found out some things and…uh…"

"What Daniel? He killed Alisa…please, tell me…" Sam pled, his eyes wide.

"Michael Wilcox had an illegitimate son. His name is Trenton Wilcox and he is the man who has been stalking you. He's the one who hurt you and killed Alisa," Daniel answered nervously.

"A son? B-but his family didn't even come see him…because of what he did to those boys…" Sam cried softly.

"Sam…uh…Trenton Wilcox…he…uh…he…" Dean stammered nervously.

"What Dean? He what?" Sam asked warily.

"There's evidence that…shit…there's evidence that Michael Wilcox had an accomplice," Dean answered.

"An accomplice?"

"Sam…it's Trenton Wilcox. He helped his father…he helped him rape and murder those boys," Daniel said when Dean remained silent.

"N-no…why…wh-what does he want with me?" Sam cried.

"He blames you for his father's death Sam," Dean answered.

"Wilcox almost killed me…what was I supposed to do?" Sam queried, his eyes widening in shock.

"Well, according to Trenton Wilcox, apparently you were supposed to let his father do what he intended without fighting back," Daniel said.

Sam rolled his head, his eyes staring straight up to the ceiling. His body trembled as the information he was given assaulted his already frayed nerves. He brought his hands up and covered his eyes, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

Dean and Daniel could only watch on, both feeling completely helpless, as Sam digested the information. The youngest brother's soft, quivering voice caused the older brothers to lean toward the teen.

"H-he means to finish it doesn't he? He said I had to pay for my sins. He wants to finish what his father started doesn't he?" Sam whispered as he lowered his hands, his eyes glancing from one brother to the other.

Daniel brushed his hand through his hair then gazed apologetically at his baby brother.

"Yeah…he…uh…he sent us a letter. That's exactly what he intends…" Daniel said, his heart pounding in his chest.

Sam lowered his head, his shoulders sagging under the stress. Dean reached out and grasped Sam's shoulder, gently squeezing to gain Sam's attention.

"We're not gonna let him hurt you again Sam. He's not gonna touch you…" Dean said.

Sam looked up and gazed at the middle brother. "I wanna go home. I don't want to be here anymore. Michael Wilcox got to me at the hospital in Phoenix. It can happen again…" Sam whispered, his soft voice barely audible.

"Sam…you're still sick. You nearly died. What happened in Phoenix won't happen here. We aren't gonna leave you for even a second," Dean said.

"That already happened, whether you meant for it to or not. I just want to go home Dean. Please…I want to go home…" Sam cried, his eyes pleading.

"Okay Sam…okay. How about you eat a little of your dinner, take a bit of a nap and then we can talk to Dr. Heely," Daniel said.

"Not really hungry," Sam replied tiredly.

"The doc's not gonna release you until you start eating Sammy," Dean said.

"Not hungry. 'M tired…just wanna sleep," Sam slurred, his sudden sleepiness alerting the brothers that Sam's timed pain medication pump had apparently administered a dose of the sleep inducing medication.

"Okay Sammy…you sleep. We'll get you something to eat when you wake up," Dean said as he lowered the head of the bed a bit.

"'kay. Y-you won't leave me alone?" Sam asked as his eyes slowly closed.

"Never Sammy. We'll be right here kiddo," Daniel said softly.

Sam smiled and turned slowly onto his uninjured side, his breaths evening out as he succumbed to sleep. Dean reached out and brushed his fingers through Sam's soft hair. He looked up to find Daniel watching him intently. He nodded and leaned back as Daniel nodded back. The brothers stood from the bed and sat in their chairs and waited for their dad to return, their baby brother sleeping safely between them.

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**Awwww...how much sweetness can we all take? I need to go brush my teeth now. LOL Please review!**

**Cindy.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Here it is at last. The next chapter. I hope you enjoy. No tissues needed (or sedatives for that matter). Just some more fluff.**

**Cindy.**

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John looked up from his position next to Sam's bed when the hospital room door opened. He smiled as he shook his head then glanced at his watch. He looked back up at his two oldest sons who were now standing at the foot of Sam's bed.

"Wow. 6 AM…you got what? About…five hours sleep?" John queried with amusement, not at all surprised at the early arrival of the two young men.

"Hey, at least we went home old man," Dean replied with a smirk.

"Yeah…after I had to physically run the two of you out'a here," John replied.

"Thanks for that too Dad. You can guess what I had to put up with after you forced Dean away from his Sammy. Geez…talk about bitchy!" Daniel said, punching Dean lightly on the shoulder.

"That bad huh?" John asked, happy to see his boys looking a little more like themselves finally.

"Yeah…well, what do you expect? It's my job to watch out for him," Dean said with chagrin.

"It's **_our_** job Dean," Daniel corrected.

"Okay boys, keep it down or you'll wake your brother and Joshua," John reprimanded.

"Too late Johnny, I'm up…" Joshua muttered as he stretched his arms above his head.

"Sorry Josh…" Daniel said softly.

"No problemo Danny boy, I need coffee anyway. Anyone else?" Joshua queried as he stood and headed for the door.

"Yeah, sure…thanks Josh," Dean replied.

"How 'bout I just grab us all a cup," Joshua said as he slipped out the door, not waiting for a reply.

"You boys eat?" John queried.

"Not yet. We got a bite after you kicked us out last night. How about you?" Daniel replied.

"Hit the vending machine a few hours ago after I took over the watch from Joshua."

"I'll give Caleb a call in a bit and have him bring us something. He and Bobby are checking a few things then they'll be here, probably in a few hours," Dean said as he skirted around the bed to check on his little brother.

"How'd the kid do last night?" Daniel asked, stepping up next to Dean and glancing across the bed toward his father.

"Woke up a few times but went right back to sleep. His fever went down…it's almost back to normal," John answered as he brushed a stray lock of hair from Sam's eyes.

"That's good. That's real good…" Daniel said softly.

"He wants to go home Dad, but I don't know if that's a good idea," Dean said.

"Well, we'll see what Dr. Heely says. He said he'd be in around 8 this morning," John replied.

"After we told him about Trenton Wilcox, Sam kinda freaked. Kept thinking about what happened in Phoenix. Maybe it'd be best to get him home," Daniel said.

"Yeah, but it hasn't been that long since he got stabbed and had surgery. Plus all the trauma since? I just don't know," Dean argued.

"Why don't we just wait and see what the doctor has to say okay?" John suggested as he planted his backside in the chair once more.

"Yeah…okay," Dean replied, seating himself in the chair Joshua had vacated.

Daniel sighed as he sat on the mattress at the foot of the bed. The three men fell into a comfortable silence as they settled in and watched Sam sleep. The brother's both noticed that Sam's coloring was better this morning, most likely due to the good nights sleep he got. The three were brought out of their private musings when Joshua re-entered the room, his hands laden with four cups of hot, steaming coffee.

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Dean leaned back in his chair, patting his full belly and letting out a satisfied "Ahhhh…"

Caleb and Bobby had shown up a half hour earlier with breakfast from the diner down the street from the hospital. The hungry hunters had all dug in with a slight amount of discomfort as they kept watch on Sam who merely pushed his hospital slop around on his plate. Dean had offered Sam one of his pancakes but Sam had just smiled slightly as he declined the offer. Now, the men were pretty much finished with their breakfasts while Sam hadn't even touched his fork to his mouth.

"Sammy, you need to eat squirt," Daniel said affectionately as he smiled down at his baby brother.

"'m not hungry and 'm almost as tall as you Danny…not a squirt," Sam muffled petulantly.

"Yeah, well…Doc's not gonna be happy if you don't eat…and you'll always be the squirt in this family," Dean shot cheerfully.

Sam stared at the tray on his table and rolled his eyes. He fell back onto his pillows with a small sigh, his hands dropping to his lap.

"Seriously dude, are you feeling okay? Are you in more pain than you were?" Daniel asked worriedly as the other hunters looked on with concern.

"I just want out of here. I wanna go home Danny. I…uh…I…" Sam stammered nervously.

"What Sam? Come on kiddo, tell us what's wrong…" Daniel encouraged as he squeezed Sam's knee gently through the blanket that covered him.

"I…I just feel like a sitting duck here. I mean, I know you guys are here and all, but what if…" Sam started.

"Nothings gonna happen Sam. We aren't leaving you alone, so don't worry about that. You worry about getting better son," John said reassuringly.

"I know Dad, but if he…if he wants me bad enough…I…I just don't want to be here. If I'm home, the doctors can't take me away from you and…"

"Sam, that's not gonna happen again. If we'd have known that was gonna go down, we wouldn't have left you. You know that right?" Dean queried, resting his hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Yeah…I know. Still, as soon as Dr. Heely comes in, I'm going to tell him I want to go home," Sam said as he crossed his arms defiantly across his chest.

The older hunters had to chuckle at the pale, exhausted looking teenager as he attempted to put on his best bitch face, his attempt at looking tough falling short as his tired eyes began to close against his will. He immediately went from looking like a petulant teenager to looking like an adorable angel as the pain lines evened out on his face. John felt a pang in his chest as he watched Sam fall off to sleep, his now pink (thank God) lips slightly parted. He loved his baby so much and regretted the life he was forced to make the kid lead. The life all of his boys had to lead.

John moved to the side of the bed and sat next to Sam's side, his fingers idly ruffling Sam's hair. He smiled up at Dean and Daniel, who had moved to the end of the bed. All eyes turned suddenly to the door as it opened and Dr. Heely stepped into the room.

"Good morning gentlemen. How is everyone this morning?" the doctor queried cheerfully.

"Oh…we're doing just fine Dr. Heely," Daniel answered with a smirk.

"Well, that's wonderful. And how is my patient?" Dr. Heely replied.

"A little sleepy, but he did want to talk to you about something , so…" Dean said, his eyebrows arching.

Dr. Heely eyed the Winchester brothers with a mixture of amusement and confusion. He hadn't seen them this chipper before and wondered what was up to bring on their sudden change in demeanor. In fact, as the doctor glanced around, he noticed all of the men gathered were in much better moods than he had ever seen them in.

"Am I missing something here?" the doctor asked somewhat nervously.

"Oh no doc, we're just…concerned…" Bobby said with a slight chuckle.

"Concerned? About what?" Dr. Heely queried, completely confused now.

"Well…Sammy's gonna ask you to release him and he's gonna give you the look and…" Daniel started.

"The look?"

"Yeah…the look. If you aren't careful, you will, and I say this with one hundred certainty…you will be caught in the unbreakable hold of the puppy dog eyes," John said with amusement.

"The puppy dog eyes?"

"Yep. I have even been trapped before, and I pride myself on being one tough son of a bitch. Ask my boys," John replied.

"It's true doc. Nobody's immune to it," Daniel said.

"Well, I can assure you, I've been doing this a good many years. Sam's not ready to go home and puppy dog eyes or not, he's gonna need to stay a bit longer," Dr. Heely said with conviction.

"Okay doc…if you think you can withstand what each and every one of us has failed to, knock yourself out," Caleb said, a wide grin on his face.

"Just…just don't look directly at 'im doc. It's more dangerous than looking directly into the sun," Bobby instructed gleefully.

"If you need any help, we're right here. Don't know how much it'll help though…the look is all powerful," Joshua offered.

"Uh…I think I can handle one tired, injured seventeen year old. Like I said, I've been doing this awhile."

"Okay doc. Just don't say we didn't warn you," John said as he stood and joined the other hunters at the far wall.

Dr. Heely shook his head and stepped up to the bed where his sleeping patient lay. He checked Sam's vitals and went through his routine before reaching out and gently shaking Sam's shoulder. The six men grinned from their positions across the room as Sam's eyes opened wide and instantly stared up at the doctor. He pushed himself up as best he could, wincing at the movement.

"Hey Dr. Heely," Sam said softly, his hazel eyes widening further.

"This is it…here it comes," Dean whispered, chuckling softly as John shushed him.

"Hey Sam. I hear you have something to ask me," Dr. Heely said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Uh…yeah. I…I want to go home. I'm feeling better and I'd take it easy," Sam said softly, his head cocking slightly.

"Oh…uh…well Sam, I really don't think you're ready yet. Maybe in a few days. It looks like you haven't touched your breakfast and …" the doctor started.

"That's 'cause the food's horrible. I'll eat, I promise. Please Dr. Heely…please, I just wanna go home," Sam pled, his eyes staring wide up at the ill prepared doctor.

Dr. Heely sat back a bit and looked Sam in the eyes. He shuffled the papers he held nervously as he thought about what to say.

"Uh-oh…he looked. He's a goner," Caleb commented happily.

"Yep…he's a goner all right," Dean replied.

"Please Dr. Heely…I'll be fine. I have my family to take care of me."

"Uh…huh. Tell you what Sam. I'll get you a fresh breakfast and if you finish half of it, I'll consider letting you go home today," the doctor said, completely baffled at what just happened.

"Thanks Dr. Heely. Thank you so much," Sam exclaimed and suddenly the dimples that had been absent for so long made a welcomed appearance.

Dr. Heely smiled, unable to contain himself as he took in Sam's bright face. He patted Sam's knee and stood from the bed.

"Uh…you're welcome Sam. I'll…uh…I'll see about getting you something a bit more appetizing, but nothing real solid yet," Dr. Heely said.

Sam nodded appreciatively then closed his eyes again, drifting off into a light sleep as the tension flowed out of his body. Dr. Heely walked up to the snickering hunters, his head shaking in confusion.

"Wow! You weren't kidding. I couldn't look away and I couldn't say no. I've never been manipulated like that before. Does he even realize how powerful he is?" the doctor asked with sudden amusement.

"Well, we told you doc. Nobody's immune. And to answer your question…no, I don't think he has a clue," John answered as he clapped the doctor on the back.

Dr. Heely nodded and smiled, turning and eyeing his patient with great affection. "Well, I guess I better go order Sam a new breakfast and then see about getting his release papers in order."

The hunters just chuckled softly as the befuddled and bemused doctor left the room, the latest to fall victim to the dreaded puppy dog eyes.

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**Poor Dr. Heely. Never saw it coming. Well, he can't say he wasn't warned. Please review. More later tonight.**

**Cindy**


	25. Chapter 25

**First of all, I'm sorry this took longer than I intended to post. I just spent the past two hours at the emergency room with my oldest son. He injured his knee during a rugby match and I just got home a little while ago. To make matters worse, I missed the new episode tonight. That's the first episode I've ever missed seeing on it's original run date. Thank goodness my brother recorded it for me. Second, I wanted to get this out so I didn't reply to comments about the last chapter. I will try to do that tomorrow evening. Thanks to all of you who commented and I will try to reply personally to each one of you. Enjoy the next chapter. Oh, you made need tissues.**

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**One Week Later**

Sam sat silently at the makeshift picnic table that was set up in the small backyard of the rental house his family called home for the time being. The table consisted of two sawhorses with a piece of plywood laid across them. A dingy sheet covered the plywood and chairs from the kitchen table set were set up around the table. Sam watched as John and Bobby argued about the correct way to grill a perfect steak, both standing over the old briquet barbeque that Dean had dug out of a shed at the back corner of the lot.

Sam smiled softly then turned his attention to where Dean, Caleb and Joshua stood. Caleb was showing off his newly acquired hunting knife, smiling proudly at the oooh's and aaah's he received from the other two hunters. The back screen door slamming brought Sam's attention to Daniel, who had just come out of the house, a tub of store bought potato salad in one hand and a stack of plates in the other. The eldest Winchester brother strolled up to the table where Sam sat and set the plates and salad down before looking up at Sam and smiling.

"How ya doing kiddo?" Daniel asked, his eyes unconsciously assessing his little brother.

"I'm fine Danny. I don't know why you won't let me help…" Sam said in reply.

"You've only been home for a week Sam and you still don't have your strength back. You need to just take it easy," Daniel said.

"I'm not an invalid and I can't get my strength back if you guys won't let me do anything but sit or lie down," Sam grumbled crankily.

"Sorry Sammy. I know it's hard for you but you'll be sparring with Dean and I soon enough," Daniel said, his eyes full of understanding.

"I'm sorry Dan. I just feel useless. You guys have been trying so hard to find Trenton Wilcox and all I do is sleep or sit on the couch. I should be helping," Sam said softly.

"You're not useless Sam. You're injured and need the rest to get better. It's not any different than when one of us gets hurt. You run yourself ragged taking care of us. Now it's our turn."

"I guess. I just wish I didn't feel so worthless. I feel like I'm just taking up space," Sam said with a sigh, lowering his head to stare at his lap.

Daniel walked over to Sam and sat in the chair next to him. He reached out and grasped Sam's chin, gently pulling his face up until the two brother's eyes met.

"Don't ever say you're worthless Sam. You think Bobby, Caleb and Joshua would be here if they thought you were worthless? You mean the world to a lot of people squirt…don't forget it," Daniel admonished before smiling warmly.

"I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I know you all care about me," Sam muffled.

"It's okay Sam. You've been through hell kiddo. Just give yourself a little more credit okay?"

"Yeah…okay,' Sam replied with his own warm smile.

Daniel turned his head when Bobby yelled over to him. "Hey Daniel, get those plates over here you idjit! Steaks are done…"

Daniel turned back and patted Sam on the shoulder before standing and grabbing up the stack of plates he had brought out of the house.

"Coming old timer…don't get your panties in a bunch!" Daniel shouted back as he strolled across the yard.

Sam chuckled softly then leaned back in his chair, his smile fading as his face took on a look of melancholy. In all the research, hitting the streets and lost sleep, his family and extended family were no closer to finding Trenton Wilcox than they were a week ago. Sam shuddered as a feeling of being watched came over him. He glanced around nervously before emitting an embarrassed laugh. He was safely surrounded by his self appointed protectors and felt silly for being scared.

The fact of the matter though was that Sam wasn't just scared, he was terrified. He'd been filled in on the full extent of the situation over the course of the week, his family leary of keeping anymore secrets from him. He knew of the photos, his stomach clenching as he thought about how long his stalker had been watching him. He knew how close he had come to being lost to his family that night in the cemetery and felt sufficiently guilty for having worried them so much. So lost in his thoughts, Sam didn't realize he was being spoken to until his shoulder was lightly grabbed. He flinched slightly before looking up from the table.

"What? Huh?" Sam stammered as he gazed up at John's concerned face.

"I asked if you wanted some corn on the cob Sam. Are you okay?" John queried.

"Oh…uh…yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking is all," Sam replied.

"Okay…so, do you want some corn?" John asked, his face still showing concern.

"Um…yeah, that'd be great."

John smiled and dropped the ear of corn onto the plate that Sam hadn't even noticed had been placed in front of him.

"Eat up kiddo," John instructed before walking around the table and taking his seat.

"Thanks Dad," Sam murmured, taking up his knife and fork.

Sam glanced around the table, watching as his father, brothers and adopted uncles dug into their meals. He smiled softly then looked down at his own plate. Not feeling very hungry, but not wishing to worry his family anymore than they already were, Sam cut into his steak and put a small piece into his mouth. He was well aware of the close but guarded scrutiny he was under so he dutifully ate his meal, forcing down every mouthful. Another shudder quaked through his body as the feeling of being watched returned.

"Are you cold Sam?" Daniel's worried voice queried.

"Uh…maybe a little," Sam answered as shivers ran down his spine.

"Sit tight, I'll go get you a sweatshirt," Dean said as he began to rise.

"N-No Dean, that's okay. I'll go get one. I need to use the bathroom anyway," Sam replied as he stiffly stood.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Dean queried.

"I think I can handle it Dean. I'll be right back," Sam answered with a small grin.

The men watched as Sam made his way carefully across the yard. He slowly climbed the stairs to the back door and disappeared into the house. The hunters resumed their light banter and meal consumption, all the while waiting for Sam to return.

Sam walked through the kitchen and into the livingroom before heading down the hall to his and Dean's bedroom, happy to be out from under the watchful eyes of his family for a moment. He stopped in the bathroom on the way and once he finished his business he proceeded on to the bedroom. Sam reached the open door, eyeing it curiously as he could have sworn he closed it before heading out to the backyard earlier. He shook his head and entered his room, flipping the light switch on the wall to his right. He headed for his bed where he had left his sweatshirt hanging from the footboard and stopped short as his eyes fell onto the bed.

"What the hell?" he whispered softly as he crept slowly up to the bed.

Stepping up to the side of he bed, Sam reached out a shaky hand, his fingers clasping a photo that lay with several other photos over his bedspread. He lifted the photo and let out a strangled cry as his eyes took in the image. The photo was of him lying on the ground, a headstone behind him. Alisa's headstone. This was taken the night he escaped from the hospital. He dropped the photo and reached for another one that caught his eye. Tears streamed in uncontrolled rivers down his cheeks as he gazed at the picture he held.

In the photo, he and Alisa sat at a picnic table sharing an icecream cone. Sam remembered that day. It was his birthday and he and Alisa had gone to the Dairy Queen near her home. It was just a few weeks before they were attacked in the park. Sam set the picture down and moved his eyes over his bed, suddenly stopping when something shiny caught his eye. Sam reached up to his pillow and picked up a gold chain, his fingers trembling so much he nearly dropped it. A small, heart shaped, diamond encrusted pendant hung from the chain. Sam had given the necklace to Alisa for Christmas. She had been wearing it the night of her death.

Sam heard his name being shouted just as his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor. Strong hands grasped his arms and he felt someone drop down in front of him. He jerked back, suddenly terrified until he focused his eyes and saw Dean's worried face staring at him. Dean's lips were moving but Sam couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Wh-what? Dean?" Sam whispered, his entire body trembling.

"What's wrong Sam? What happened?" Dean repeated, his heart hammering in his chest.

"I…he's here…" Sam stammered, his eyes moving back up to his bed.

"Who's here?" Dean queried as he followed Sam's eyes up to the bed, his own eyes growing large at what he saw.

Dean stood quickly, his mouth dropping open as he stared in shock at the photos that covered Sam's bed. He broke out of his stupor when he heard Sam's soft cry and looked down at his brother. A shiver suddenly ran down his spine and he jerked his head around, his eyes scanning the room frantically. Dean reached down and practically yanked Sam up from the floor. He wrapped his arm around Sam's waist and dragged the nearly catatonic boy across the room.

"Come on Sammy, we gotta get out'a here," he said with urgency as he continued to drag Sam down the hall.

Dean hurried through the livingroom and kitchen and burst through the back door.

"Dad!" he screamed, pulling Sam across the porch and scrambling down the stairs, holding tightly to his brother as the boy stumbled along beside him.

John, Daniel and the other hunters jumped up, startled at the scream. All five men ran across the yard, gasping as Sam fell to the ground, pulling Dean down with him. Daniel reached the fallen hunters first and dropped down in front of Sam, his hands ghosting over his baby brother. A quick assessment revealed no blood, no fresh bruises and Daniel looked up questioningly.

"What happened Dean?" Daniel queried as the other men crowded around.

"Wilcox…in the house…" Dean panted, his pounding heart taking his breath from him.

"What!" John shouted in alarm, already heading for the house.

"S-Sam's room…pictures…" Dean stammered.

Joshua and Bobby followed John into the house, leaving the brothers and Caleb in the yard. Dean was on his knees, his arm still wrapped protectively around Sam's waist while Daniel crouched in front of the teen, his hands reaching out to grasp Sam's wrists.

"What ya got there kiddo?" Daniel queried when he saw the chain that dangled from Sam's fingers.

Sam remained hunched over, his eyes staring at his hands. He slowly raised his head and gazed at Daniel. Daniel was taken aback by the anguish he saw in the hazel depths.

"Alisa's necklace. He…he took it from her," Sam whispered before dropping his head again.

Daniel pulled Sam's hands up and Sam opened his fingers, allowing his oldest brother to see the pendant he held. Daniel closed his eyes, his heart aching for his baby brother. He remembered quite clearly Sam's excitement when he had first seen the necklace. Sam had proclaimed it to be perfect and refused any offer of a loan to purchase it. He had taken on a job after school to earn money to buy it, plus helped with hunts and kept his grades up to boot. Daniel had felt enormous pride and respect for his brother and now felt the heart ache for him turn to rage at the man responsible for Sam's torment and pain. Trenton Wilcox had taken a token of something pure and beautiful and turned it into an object of torture for Sam.

"Oh Sammy, I'm so sorry," Daniel whispered before standing, a murderous glint in his eyes.

Daniel glanced at Caleb and the older man swallowed nervously at the look in the younger man's eyes. Daniel glanced down again to find Dean staring up at him, his own eyes filled with fury.

"Stay with them Caleb…" Daniel said, his voice low and dangerous.

Daniel stormed into the house, his fists clenching as he made his way down the hall to Sam and Dean's room. He blew into the room to find his father standing over Sam's bed, his hands holding several photos. Daniel glanced down, swallowing angrily as he saw the bed covered in yet more photo's.

"Where's Bobby and Joshua?" Daniel asked, his voice tight.

"Searching the house. They're not gonna find the coward though…I'm sure he's long gone," John answered.

"Dad…he was in our house…in Sam's room. Sam was in here alone. He's supposed to be safe here. How the hell did the son of a bitch get in?" Daniel shot, his eyes glued to John's face.

"I don't know how he got in. Front door's locked. Windows are all locked. I…I just don't know," John replied.

Daniel started sifting through the photos, his anger growing with each image. His eyes welled with tears when he picked up the photo of an unconscious Sam at the cemetery.

"What are we gonna do Dad? Sam's not safe here anymore," Daniel queried.

"We'll find some place. Maybe there's a safehouse near. I don't know what else to do. This guy's a ghost and until we can find out where he's holing up, our best bet is to hide Sam away," John answered.

Daniel nodded and both men looked up when Bobby and Joshua walked into the room.

"Well, we found where he got in. He jimmied the lock on a window in the basement," Bobby announced, looking down at Sam's bed with disgust and worry.

"Okay…uh…we need to find out if there's a safehouse near here. I don't want to take Sam too far with him still being so weak, but we can't stay here," John said gruffly.

"I'm on it Johnny," Bobby said as he turned and hurried from the room.

"Daniel…go get your brothers. You and Dean make sure this place is locked up tight. We'll stay here tonight. We'll sleep in shifts. Sammy doesn't get left alone, even to go to the bathroom," John instructed.

"Yes, sir," Daniel answered, hurrying from the room.

John nodded and sank down onto the floor. He began to gather the photos, not wanting Sam to see them again. He smiled slightly when Joshua began to help, the other hunter kneeling on the other side of the bed.

"We'll keep him safe John. We won't rest until Wilcox is dead," Joshua said, his voice dark but reassuring.

John nodded and whispered a thank you. He gathered all of the pictures together and then took the ones that Joshua had gathered. He followed Joshua out of the room and met up with his sons and Caleb in the livingroom. Sam was sat on the couch, Daniel by his side, his arm draped protectively over his shoulders. Dean sat on the coffee table in front of Sam. He had Sam's face in his hands, their foreheads nearly touching. The older brothers whispered softly to Sam, the youngest nodding his head at the words the other hunters couldn't hear.

John looked from Caleb to Joshua then back to his sons. "This has got to end. I can't lose my baby…" he whispered softly.

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**That guy is one sick son of a bisquit eater! I hope you liked the chapter. Please let me know. Take care. I'll see you all tomorrow.**

**Cindy**


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you all for your words of concern for my son. He's doing better, the swelling and pain have subsided a bit. Unfortunately, he can't bowl in the Junior tournement he was signed up for this weekend and is a bit upset about that. I figured that last chapter would draw a strong reaction, but boy, I certainly underestimated how strong that reaction would be. Not sure this next chapter will help to ease anybody's anxiety. Please enjoy.**

**Cindy.  
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**Same Evening-Trenton Wilcox POV**

Trenton Wilcox crept along the side of the small house, the bushes and hedge providing the cover he needed. He came to a halt and crouched down next to the basement window he had broken into the previous night. He pushed the window open as quietly as he could and dropped the duffel bag he had brought with him onto the basement floor. Next he squeezed through the window and dropped silently to the floor, thankful it wasn't one of those tiny windows usually used for basements. He bent over and picked up his bag then headed for the stairs. He listened for a moment before beginning to carefully climb the steep staircase.

Once Wilcox reached the top step he quietly turned the knob and pushed lightly until the door opened slightly. He could hear movement in what he assumed to be the kitchen due to the clinking of what sounded like dishes. He pushed the door open a little more and squinted through the opening. He could make out the eldest brother, the one who chased him out of the hospital, the one whom he had hit with the two by four, busying himself with plates and what appeared to be a tub of some sort of salad. The injury that Wilcox had inflicted was clearly visible, the bruising fading, but still dark against the young man's skin. It appeared as though the stitches had been removed, but the cut still appeared red and slightly swollen.

Wilcox had the sudden urge to break from his hiding place and run his knife through the young man's gut, but he restrained himself. He wouldn't allow himself to mess up like his father had done, so he waited patiently until Daniel picked up a stack of plates and the salad and stepped out of view. Once he heard the screen door slam, Wilcox crept from the basement and eased into the kitchen. He peered carefully around then stepped up to the window above the sink and looked out onto the backyard. His eyes moved over the yard, barely pausing on each person he saw until he found the object of his obsession.

Sam sat at a table, his oldest brother talking to him. The brother sat in the chair next to the boy, the conversation appearing to be quite serious based upon the look on the brat's face. Wilcox continued to watch, his eyes never leaving Sam's face. The older hunter who was standing with the boy's father at the barbeque called across the yard and the oldest brother stood, picked up the stack of plates and walked across the yard leaving the boy to himself.

Wilcox watched as the boy leaned back in his chair, a small smile on his lips. The smile faded quickly and soon the boy sat up looking nervously around the yard. Wilcox drew back when it appeared the boy was looking directly at him. He waited until the brat seemed to relax then turned and made his way from the kitchen to the livingroom then to the hallway. He found the door he concluded was Sam's, turned the knob and pushed the door open. He went directly to the bed furthest from the door, knowing it belonged to the boy. He opened his duffel bag and set about on his task emptying the bagful of photos onto the bed.

Once all of the photos were positioned to Wilcox's liking, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold chain with a small heart pendant attached. He had yanked it from the girl's neck the night at the park and kept it until he figured the time was right to leave it for Sam to find. He placed it on the pillow of the bed, then gathered his duffel and left the room, leaving the door open.

Wilcox crept down the hall and glanced into the livingroom to make sure it was empty before slipping through the room and back into the kitchen. The kitchen was thankfully empty and Wilcox stepped back up to the window to once again watch Sam as he ate with his family. The kid looked pale and appeared to be barely getting the food down. Wilcox tensed as the boy stopped eating and he could see the shiver that ran through him. When the boy stood and began to slowly make his way toward the house, Wilcox took that as his cue to hurry across the room and slid through the basement door.

Wilcox peered through the door and sucked in a breath when Sam walked into his line of vision then soon walked out of it. He briefly considered taking the boy now, but pushed that notion aside. One of the brat's nosy brothers was bound to come in at any moment as they never left the kid alone for very long. Pulling the door shut, Wilcox carefully made his way down into the basement. He pulled an old chair beneath the window, pushed his duffel through then climbed through himself.

Wilcox sat at the side of the house for several minutes, not wanting to leave and put distance between himself and his boy. When he heard one of the brothers scream for his father and rushed footsteps scrambling down wooden steps, Wilcox decided the time had come to leave. He rushed back alongside the house and across the front lawn. He hurriedly crossed the street and jumped into his van. He started the car, put it in gear and with one more glance at the house, he sped away. He would soon have the boy to himself and he couldn't wait.

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Bobby leaned over as he spoke to John through the open drivers door window of the rental car he had acquired for the Winchesters to make their hopefully clean escape.

"Okay, just head south about sixty five miles until you get to Soledad. Follow the directions I gave you to the safehouse. Caleb, Joshua and I will be along later today," Bobby instructed.

"Thanks Bobby…appreciate it," John replied with a small, tired smile.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you now? I feel a bit nervous with you taking off on your own," Bobby said with concern.

"No Bobby. You guys stay for awhile to give the appearance that we're home. With our cars still out front and you all there, hopefully Wilcox will think we're home," John answered.

"Okay, you guys stay safe and call when you get there," Bobby said.

"We will. See ya later Bobby," John said then rolled the window up and slowly drove away down the alley that ran behind their rental house.

John drove the non-descript, silver rental car through the back streets of Santa Cruz before heading south to Soledad and the safehouse where he hoped he and his sons and friends could keep Sam safe until Trenton Wilcox could be found and taken out. Dean rode shotgun with Sam behind him in the backseat and Daniel behind John. Sam sat quietly, his eyes staring with disinterest out his window. He had barely spoken since finding the photos on his bed two days previous.

Sam hadn't been left alone for even a second since that day but he couldn't find the energy to even complain about it. Any wind that had been in his sails was taken away the second his fingers closed around Alisa's necklace. His family and uncles had tried to draw him out of his shell and he really tried, but he just couldn't bring himself to care much. He'd spent the time since that day either sleeping or staring blankly at the TV screen, not even comprehending what was playing. He hadn't eaten but a few bites of food and his family was worried beyond words about him.

The dark sky was gradually brightening as morning dawned and the silver car continued down the road toward its destination. They hadn't seen another car so when bright headlights pulled up behind them John was immediately on edge. The vehicle pulled out and passed and John glanced over as a light colored van sped by and disappeared around a bend in the road. Sam took that moment to turn his attention through the windshield and his eyes widened in shock.

"D-Dad…that van…it's…" Sam stammered as John came around the curve and Sam was unable to finish his sentence as all hell broke loose.

A loud crack sounded just before the windshield shattered and Dean yelled out, his voice filled with shock and pain. Sam's face was hit with a warm, wet spray just as John let out a startled shout as a second crack sounded followed by the sound of the tire exploding. John cranked at the steering wheel, but was unable to keep the car from careening toward the embankment.

"HOLD ON!!" John screamed as the car hit the edge of the road, rolling when the wheels hit a cropping of large rocks.

Over and over the car rolled until it came to a stop at the bottom of the embankment. The car had thankfully come to rest on its wheels and as the dust settled, there was only one occupant capable of movement in the destroyed vehicle.

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**Hmmmmm...I think I left you with a cliffy! I hope you liked the chapter and will come back later tonight for another one. Take care.**

**Cindy.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Okay folks, this is where the story takes a very dark turn. Tranquilizers may help. LOL I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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Sam's head throbbed a steady rhythm with his heartbeat as he lifted a trembling hand to finger the knot forming just above his right ear. He hissed as his fingers played over the bump and he breathed a sigh of relief when he felt no cut. He turned to his left, the movement sending a wave of dizziness through him. He squeezed his eyes shut until the dizziness passed then tried to move across the seat. He briefly panicked when he found he couldn't move until his befuddled mind realized he was wearing his seatbelt. Once free from the restraint, Sam scooted across the seat to check on his too still oldest brother.

"D-Daniel?" he asked shakily as he brought his fingers to the unconscious man's neck.

Sam let out his breath when he found a steady pulse beneath his fingers. The dull light of the early morning made it difficult to see, but Sam could see enough to know that the left side of Daniel's face was covered with blood. He gently caressed Daniel's cheek before turning to get a glimpse of his father. Sam grasped the seat back and pulled himself forward, repeating his earlier motions with John. He winced as the drumming in his head built in a crescendo then ebbed away to a more manageable level. Sam couldn't see John's face, but the man had a strong pulse and was breathing okay so he allowed himself to breathe in relief.

Sam brought his hand up to brush over his face and flinched when he felt moisture. He pulled his hand away and looked at his fingers, shocked to see them coated with blood. He couldn't feel any injuries on his face so he wondered where the blood had come from. That's when he remembered the loud crack, the window shattering and Dean's pain filled cry. He turned instantly to his brother who sat slumped in the front passenger seat.

Sam checked for a pulse and became nervous when it wasn't as strong as his father's or oldest brother's. He ghosted his fingers over Dean and almost immediately found that Dean's left arm was bleeding profusely. Sam ripped through Dean's light jacket sleeve and shirtsleeve and hissed when he saw through the growing light a bullet hole through the meaty part of Dean's upper arm. He couldn't tell if it was through and through, or if the bullet remained in Dean's arm. He just knew he had to stop the bleeding. He took off his jacket and pulled off his outer button down shirt. He then ripped the bottom of his tee shirt off, balled it up and pressed it over the wound. Next he took his outer shirt and wrapped it around Dean's arm and tied it tight to put as much pressure on the wound as possible.

Sam ran his fingers gently through Dean's cropped hair as the gravity of the situation hit him. He had to get help for his family. He jerked his head to his left when he heard a vehicle pull up to the edge of the road above them. He fell back in his seat and turned to his door. He blinked when he saw the door had been ripped from the car and sent up a prayer of thanks that he wouldn't be trapped. He gingerly crawled out of the car, his aches and pains making themselves known. He had to grab the side of the car to steady himself and closed his eyes to try and stave off the vertigo that assaulted him.

Suddenly Sam remembered something and his blood ran cold. The van that passed them. Trenton Wilcox's van. Everything suddenly became clear and Sam looked around in a panic when he heard someone sliding down the embankment. He had to find a weapon. He had to protect his family. He remembered the gun that John had laid on the seat beside him before leaving their house and scrambled to get back in the car to find it. A menacing voice stopped his movements and he spun around to face the monster who had turned his life into a living hell.

"Hello Sammy," Trenton Wilcox drawled, an evil sneer on his face. "I was hoping the crash wouldn't kill you. That would have ruined all my fun."

Sam stood still, glued to the spot, unable to move, unable to speak. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, causing his head to throb even more.

"What's wrong Sammy? Cat got your tongue?" Wilcox taunted as he took a step forward.

Sam tensed even further and straightened as tall as he could. Although Sam had shot up to nearly six feet he was still several inches shorter than Wilcox and much thinner. Sam was terrified out of his mind, but more for his family than for himself. The three men were completely helpless and Sam was the only defense between them and Wilcox. He glared at the man, praying that he didn't look as scared as he felt.

"Stay away from my family," Sam hissed, his eyes narrowing.

Wilcox laughed and took another step forward. "Or what? Are you gonna stop me little boy? You're half my size. Besides, it's not your family you need to worry about."

Sam growled low in his throat and glared at the man. "You murdered my girlfriend you son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you for that…"

"Your girlfriend got in the way. She should have listened to you and ran. Why she thought you were worth sacrificing her life for is beyond me," Wilcox spat.

"You're dead…just like your father," Sam hissed as he pulled his hand around from where he had pushed it behind himself.

Sam's hand held his father's pistol that had by some stroke of luck landed in the backseat and easily within Sam's reach. He stretched his arm out before him, the gun trained right between Wilcox's eyes. He flicked the safety and eyed the man evenly.

"Oh Sammy, if you only knew how like my father I am," Wilcox said with a grin. "Oh what the hell, I may as well show you."

Sam watched as Wilcox grabbed the collar of his tee shirt and pulled it down to reveal his chest. Sam let out a soft cry when he saw the tattoo over Wilcox's heart. The same binding symbol that Michael Wilcox had had. Sam's heart sank as he stared at the tattoo. He lifted his eyes to Wilcox's face. Wilcox smiled smugly and took one more step.

"You can't kill me Sam," he said.

"I killed your father…I-I can kill you too," Sam replied.

"Well, for one I'm sure you had help killing Daddy. Second, I'm pretty certain you don't have your little dagger handy so…"

"I can shoot you in the head and that will give us time to get the dagger…" Sam stated.

Wilcox's eyes move past Sam and into the car and he smirked. "It doesn't look like your family is going anywhere soon kid. You're on your own," Wilcox taunted.

Sam swallowed nervously and shuffled his feet, his eyes never leaving Wilcox. He flinched when Wilcox started toward him.

"Stop right there or I will shoot you!"

Wilcox laughed and continued forward. Sam pulled the trigger and the click and explosion he expected never happened as the gun jammed, apparently damaged in the crash. Sam desperately tried to pull the trigger and he let out a startled cry when Wilcox slammed into him and drove him backwards into the backseat of the car. The gun was thrown free at impact. Wilcox grabbed Sam's hair as the boy punched out at him and he yanked him from the car and threw him to the ground.

Sam grunted as he hit the ground and gasped as the air was forced from his lungs. His head pounded and he fought against the darkness that threatened to engulf him. He felt strong hands grab his arms and he was yanked roughly from the ground. Wilcox picked Sam up and slammed him onto the crumpled hood of the car. He grabbed Sam's arms and stretched them over his head, pinning his wrists to the hard surface. He pressed his body against Sam's, completely pinning him in place. He leaned into Sam, his lips tickling Sam's ear.

"Did you really think you could beat me you little piece of shit?" Wilcox whispered.

Sam struggled but was too weakened from the crash and from the abuse Wilcox had thrown at him. Still holding Sam's wrists with one hand, Wilcox reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a baggie with a white cloth inside. He put the baggie to his mouth and pulled the seal open with his teeth, then pulled the cloth out. Sam was instantly assailed with the strong smell and his heart began to pound even harder in his chest.

"M-My family will f-find you. They'll kill you for hurting me…" he gasped.

Wilcox laughed then pressed the cloth over Sam's nose and mouth. Sam tried to buck up against Wilcox while he held his breath but was no match for the larger, stronger man. He finally had to take a breath and his lungs were filled with the overpowering chemical. Sam's struggles lessened and the last thing he heard was Wilcox's sinister whisper in his ear.

"You're mine now Sam. You'll never see your family again…"

Sam's eyes closed and his body sank limply against the hood. Wilcox pulled the cloth away and released Sam's wrists then stood up, his eyes on Sam's lax face. He reached out a hand to Sam's chest as the boy began to slide off the hood. Wilcox bent over and pulled Sam over his shoulder. He stood and began his trek up the embankment to his waiting van. Once he reached the road, he glanced both ways and was happy to see no vehicles in either direction.

Wilcox stepped up to the back of his van and reached out with his free hand and opened the doors. Once the doors were wide open he lowered Sam to the floor of the van, the boy's legs dangling limply over the bumper. Wilcox climbed into the van and grabbed Sam under his arms and dragged him into the van the rest of the way. He quickly closed the doors then kneeled on the floor. He crawled to Sam's side and grabbed his right arm. He pulled Sam's arm up and using a rope that was secured to the floor, he tied Sam's wrist tightly. He repeated the action with Sam's left arm then moved to his feet, tying his ankles together before securing them to the floor also.

Wilcox sat back and admired his handy work. He reached for his duffel and reached inside. He pulled out a filled syringe and plunged the needle into Sam's arm, not wanting the boy to wake up until he had him settled in his special room. Wilcox got to his feet, his body crouched over as he moved to the front of the van. He climbed between the seats and positioned himself on the drivers seat. He started the van and after taking one last look at the unconscious teenager behind him, he put the van in gear and peeled out onto the road, leaving the crumpled car and its oblivious occupants behind.

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Bobby drove like a maniac, an overwhelming feeling of dread settling over him. He'd had a bad feeling ever since John and his boys left an hour before and he was breaking every speed law in an effort to catch up to the Winchesters. He followed the back road that John had taken hoping he actually wouldn't see them until he reached the safehouse near Soledad. That would mean that his bad feeling was wrong and that his 'family' was safe.

Bobby came around a bend in the road and immediately saw signs of what appeared to be a crash. There were skid marks on the asphalt leading to the right edge of the road and the side of the road was torn up where something had gone over. Bobby's heart pounded in his chest and his mouth went dry as he pulled over and stepped from his truck. He quickly walked to the edge of he road and peered over the embankment.

"Ah hell…" Bobby muttered as he started down the embankment.

Bobby made it to the rental car and rushed to the driver's door. The windows on the driver's side were shattered and Bobby couldn't see into the car, but he could tell there was no movement. He tried the front door but it wouldn't budge so he moved to the rear door but got the same results. Bobby hurried to the passenger side of the car and his heart nearly stopped when he saw that the rear door had been torn away and the backseat held only Daniel.

Bobby climbed into the car and did a quick examination of each unconscious man, his mind racing with the implications of the missing youngest Winchester. John and Daniel's pulses were strong and steady while Dean's was weaker, but steady. Bobby noticed a field dressing on Dean's arm and he shook his head.

"Sam's shirt," he whispered to himself. "Good job kid. You weren't thrown from the car…so where the hell are you?"

Bobby reached into Dean's jacket pocket and retrieved his cellphone. He ducked out of the car and dialed 911 first. After requesting the emergency crews, he dialed Caleb's number and filled him in on what had happened. Caleb informed him that he and Joshua were on the way and Bobby hung up then began to search for Sam.

Bobby silently prayed that Sam had gone for help but he didn't hold out much hope for that. The boy would have called if he had been able to and the field dressing on Dean's arm indicated he had been conscious. That left two possible scenarios. Either Sam left to find help and collapsed somewhere before he had a chance to call or, and Bobby's blood ran cold with the thought, Wilcox had caused the accident and now had Sam in his clutches.

Bobby searched the area surrounding the vehicle, but saw no sign of Sam. He glanced at the destroyed car then climbed back up the embankment, hoping to find any clue as to what may have happened to the youngest Winchester. He studied the skid marks that were obviously made by the rental then after walking several yards up the road, he found a second set of marks that looked to have been made by a vehicle that was in a rush to get away from the area.

Bobby removed his hat and scratched his fingers through his thin hair. Dread settled in his soul and he stared fearfully down the road. If he was right, Trenton Wilcox had somehow forced the Winchesters off the road and now had Sam and Bobby had no idea where the boy had been taken. Bobby paced at the edge of the road, waiting for the emergency crews and his friends to arrive. He glanced down at the crumpled car at the bottom of the embankment. He wondered how he was going to tell his friends…no…his family that the boy they had fought so desperately to protect was gone and that they may never see him alive again.

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**Okay, I'm going into hiding now. I'm just hoping that you all want to find out what happens in the story more than you want to punish me for being so horribly cruel to our Sammy. Please let me know what you think!**

**Cindy.**


	28. Chapter 28

**I think I've made you all suffer long enough. Here is the next chapter. You'll probably need tissues. And this chapter holds a warning. Here there be torture.**

**Cindy.**

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When awareness returned to him, John wasn't sure he wanted it. His head felt like he had gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson and come to think of it so did the rest of his body. Each breath he took brought extreme pain to his ribs and his left wrist throbbed. John peeled his eyes open and immediately scrunched them shut again when he was assailed by bright light bouncing off white walls.

"What he hell?" John whispered, his muddled brain unable to comprehend where he was or what had transpired to bring him here.

A soft voice had him opening his eyes once more and he blinked as he focused on the woman's face that hovered over him.

"Mr. Winchester? How are you feeling?" the woman queried with concern.

"Wh-where am I? What happened?" John rasped.

"You're in the ER sir. You were in an automobile accident. From what I understand, you're lucky to be alive," the woman replied.

Suddenly the morning's events slammed into John and his breath hitched as he began to panic. The loud crack, the car rolling then everything going black. John tried to sit up but the woman pushed him gently but firmly back down.

"M-My boys! Where are my boys?" John cried.

"First, I'm Nona. I'm your nurse during your stay in the ER. Now, your son Daniel is resting a few rooms down. He has a slight concussion and bruised ribs. Your other son, Dean, is in surgery to remove a bullet from his left arm. He also has a slight concussion but both boys are going to be fine," Nona explained.

"Sam…what about Sam?" John asked as he digested the news of his older boys.

"I'm sorry Mr. Winchester. Who's Sam?" Nona queried.

"What? S-Sam's my other son. Is he okay? Is he hurt badly?" John cried, his panic level rising.

"Mr. Winchester, only you and your two sons were brought in. There was no one named Sam with you," Nona explained, sure that John's head injury was causing his confusion.

"My youngest son was with us in the car! I want to know where he is! What have you done with my boy!?" John screamed as he fought his way off the gurney.

Nona fought to keep John lying down but the man's strength was too great. She ran to the sliding door and screamed for help. Within seconds, two orderlies rushed into the room and grabbed John's arms and attempted to push him back onto the gurney.

"Get off me! I have to find my baby!" John screamed, fighting with all he had to break free.

Suddenly Bobby rushed through the open doorway and ran up to his frantic friend. John stopped fighting when he saw Bobby, his eyes pleading with his friend.

"B-Bobby…where's Sammy? Why isn't he here?" John cried as he pulled his arms free, noticing for the first time the cast on his left wrist.

Bobby grasped John's shoulders and pushed him to a seated position on the gurney. He swallowed nervously, dreading having to tell John that his youngest son was gone.

"Johnny, I…I'm sorry. Sam's gone. He's…I don't know where he is," Bobby said softly.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" John queried fearfully.

"I found the crash John. You, Daniel and Dean were unconscious and…and Sam was gone. There was another vehicle there 'cause I saw tire marks other than yours…" Bobby explained.

John stared in disbelief at his friend as Bobby's words cut through his very soul. "Wilcox? Did Trenton Wilcox take my baby?" he asked, his chest heaving as he tried to draw air into his lungs.

"Yeah Johnny. I'm sure it was him. The police found a cloth soaked with chloroform on the hood of the car. Someone shot out your tire and caused you to crash…" Bobby replied sadly.

"How long?" John questioned softly.

"What do you mean John?" Bobby asked.

"How long has that animal had my son?"

"I'm not sure, but probably about four hours," Bobby answered.

"Oh God…he could have done anything to Sammy by now," John cried as he pushed off the gurney, reaching a hand out to Bobby when a wave of dizziness washed over him.

"Johnny, sit down…you have a concussion," Bobby said as he steadied his friend.

"I'm not sitting on my ass when that maniac has my son!" John shouted.

Nona, who had remained to the side throughout the exchange, stepped forward and placed a hand on John's shoulder.

"Mr. Winchester, I'm sure the police are looking for your son. You need to rest," she said softly, her heart breaking at the look of sheer panic in her patient's eyes.

John shook her hand free and began to search for his clothes. "I'll rest when my son is back with his family where he belongs! Why don't you go take care of someone who actually needs you!?" John spat.

"Mr. Winchester…please…" Nona started but stopped at the glare she received.

"Look, I'm sorry. This isn't your fault, but I don't have time to sit here. My son is missing and the police aren't going to find him. That's my job…" John said, pulling on his jeans, which he had found in a bag in the corner of the small room.

"Johnny…Caleb and Joshua are out there along with Detective Casey. I'll head out there too. Maybe you should stay here with Daniel and wait for word on Dean," Bobby said, hoping to convince his friend to rest for a while.

"No Bobby. I have to find Sam. I-I can't sit around when he's out there," John said in reply.

"Do you really want a stranger to tell Daniel about Sam and Dean when he wakes up? Don't you think it would be better coming from you? Look John…I get it okay, but you have two sons right here who need you. Caleb, Joshua and I will be out there looking for Sam. You need to be here for Daniel and Dean."

John stared ahead, his emotions playing over his face for all to see. He knew Bobby was right and that his friends would do everything in their power to find his baby boy but he couldn't shake the feeling that he would be abandoning Sam to the monster who had him if he stayed at the hospital. Finally, John made his decision.

"Okay…fine. I'll stay here until Daniel wakes up and Dean is out of surgery. I'll tell them about Sam, but then I'm out of here. I can't abandon Sammy. I just can't," John said solemnly.

"You're not abandoning him Johnny. Now, I gotta take off. You call me as soon as you hear about Dean okay?" Bobby said softly.

John nodded then turned to Nona. "Take me to my son. I'm no longer a patient here," he said firmly.

Nona nodded and waited for John to finish dressing then led him to where Daniel lay sleeping. John pulled up a chair and sat next to the gurney, his eyes falling to the bandage on the left side of Daniel's forehead. He looked up at Nona as she began to speak.

"He's going to be fine Mr. Winchester. He had a short gash on his forehead that was stitched up and he has a slight concussion and bruised ribs. All and all you and your sons were very lucky," she said softly.

"I don't think lucky is the word to use nurse," John said tiredly, his eyes never leaving his eldest son's face.

Nona looked on with sadness, not knowing exactly what was going on but seeing the anguish in the man's eyes. After hearing the two men talk earlier about a younger son who apparently was missing, Nona had begun to pray for the family. She didn't know where the mother was but she somehow sensed there wasn't one. The nurse could see the fierce love this man had for his children and could only pray that the youngest was found safe and unharmed.

"Mr. Winchester, I'm going to leave you for awhile. I'll try to find out what's going on with your other son. If you need anything just push the call button," Nona said with a warm smile.

John looked up and a sad smile graced his lips. "Thanks…for everything," he whispered.

Nona nodded and left the room, turning to look over her shoulder just in time to see John take Daniel's hand in his.

John grasped Daniel's hand gently, his thumb rubbing calming circles over his son's knuckles. John rubbed a tired hand over his face then gazed once more on Daniel's peaceful face. His eyes welled as he thought about how utterly screwed up their lives had become. He had one son unconscious, one in surgery with a bullet wound, and his youngest, his baby, was missing and most likely with a monster who meant to kill him. The tears poured over his lids and trailed down his cheeks, but John didn't notice. He had to fix his family, but in order to do that, first he had to get his older boys well and out of this hospital then they had to find his baby boy. He prayed that any damage done to him, both physically and emotionally, wouldn't be beyond repair.

John straightened as Daniel began to slowly roll his head from side to side, a soft moan falling from his lips. Tired, pain filled eyes opened and stared around in confusion before falling on John's concerned face. The confusion was soon replaced with fear when Daniel glanced around and didn't see his brothers.

"D-Dean? Sammy?" Daniel queried, his voice hoarse.

John sighed, hating the news he had to relay to his eldest son. "Dean's in surgery. He was shot in the arm," John answered nervously.

Daniel swallowed then turned wide eyes back on John. "And Sammy?" he questioned, his stomach flip flopping wildly.

John closed his eyes, gathering his emotions. He looked back up, his eyes filled with anguish. "G-Gone…Wilcox took him Danny," he said softly as he squeezed Daniel's hand.

Daniel closed his eyes and softly began to cry.

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Trenton Wilcox sat on the edge of the bed he'd set up in his 'special' room, his eyes trailing over his unconscious 'guest' hungrily. He itched to begin the torture he had planned for his father's murderer but preferred the boy to be awake so he could relish in the screams that would fill the small room. Sam lay curled on his left side, a position he had unconsciously pulled himself into when Wilcox had dropped him unceremoniously to the thin mattress. Sam's knees were pulled up to his chest and his right arm lay draped over his legs.

Wilcox grasped Sam's shoulder roughly and pushed him back until his shoulders were flat on the mattress. He turned to the table beside the bed and studied the weapon filled tray that sat there. He selected a sharp looking, medium length knife and picked it up, fingering the blade. He turned his attention back to the boy and reaching out his free hand, he grasped Sam's chin and pulled his face front and center. He trailed the side of the knife blade down Sam's cheek then drew the tip across Sam's lips, a thin line of blood forming in its wake.

Wilcox lifted Sam's right arm and turned it so the underside of his forearm was visible. He rested the blade across Sam's forearm and drew the blade toward himself, slicing deeply into the tender flesh. Wilcox smiled when Sam groaned and weakly tried to pull his arm away. After slicing another line parallel to the first one, Wilcox pressed Sam's freely bleeding arm against the teen's tattered tee shirt, allowing the blood to soak the thin material. Next he positioned Sam's arm over his drawn up legs and squeezed the injured arm until blood trickled in a slow stream from the cuts and dripped steadily onto Sam's jeans, the denim soaking up the thick fluid thirstily.

Once Wilcox was satisfied that enough blood had been spilled, he reached to the table and grabbed an alcohol soaked bandage and began to wrap it tightly around the injured limb. Wilcox delighted in Sam's groans and whimpers and paused long enough in his bandaging to push the record button on a small tape recorder he had set up on the table. He finished bandaging Sam's arm then squeezed it cruelly causing Sam to cry out in pain.

Sam's eyes shot open and he peered around fearfully. He pressed himself into the mattress when his eyes fell on Wilcox. Sam tried in vain to pull his arm free from the demented man but the only reward he received was a vicious twist of the limb, eliciting a pain filled yelp from his lips. Wilcox shoved Sam's arm away and chuckled lightly.

"Welcome to your new home Sam. I hope the accommodations are to your liking," Wilcox taunted as he leaned in toward the terrified boy.

"S-Stay away from m-me," Sam stammered, his attempt at sounding brave falling painfully flat.

"How's that head of yours feeling Sammy boy?" Wilcox queried with a laugh, his hand reaching out to finger Sam's hair.

"Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" Sam spat, a little more force in his voice this time.

"Oh, I'm gonna do a lot more than touch you Sammy boy," Wilcox hissed.

Wilcox suddenly grabbed Sam's shirt and with the knife he still held he cut through the thin material and ripped it from Sam's body. Sam cried out, trying to fight the larger man off but his old injuries coupled with his most recent ones and the drugs that still pumped through his system kept him from gaining anything but a sharp slap across his face. Wilcox grabbed Sam's left wrist and forced it into the cuff that was attached to the corner bedpost, laughing as Sam kicked and screamed. Wilcox proceeded to restrain Sam's right wrist then smiled cruelly down at the struggling boy.

Wilcox moved down the bed and removed Sam's shoes and socks then attached each ankle to their respective posts at the foot of the bed. As Sam bucked and twisted as far as his body could move, Wilcox began to cut his jeans from his legs. Sam screamed and cried as terror spread through him at the touch of the blade against his skin.

"NO!! Leave me alone! Don't touch me!" Sam screamed as Wilcox cut through the last thing holding Sam's jeans together.

Wilcox pulled the thick denim from under Sam and tossed it onto the chair near the bed where the destroyed tee shirt had already been placed. He ran the cold blade over Sam's abdomen, the boy's skin prickling at the sensation. Wilcox moved back up the bed and reached out, grabbing Sam's hair and yanking his head up from the mattress. He leaned over Sam, knife in hand and Sam cried out in a panic.

"No! What are you doing!? N-No…don't…ARGH!!!!!!!!"

Sam's bloodcurdling scream tore through the room, drowning out Wilcox's laughter. Blood dripped to the bare mattress then Sam's head was dropped back down, covering the droplets. Sam groaned in pain, his head lolling over his right shoulder. Wilcox reached for a syringe that lay on the table and plunged the needle into Sam's arm.

"Sweet dreams Sammy," Wilcox hissed as Sam's eyes closed and he fell into a drug induced slumber.

Wilcox picked up the tape recorder and spoke into the built-in microphone, an evil grin curling his lips.

"I hope you enjoyed listening to session one. Session two will be coming soon. Until then, pleasant thoughts and sweet torture."

Wilcox flipped off the recorder and removed the tape. He slipped something into a small baggie, gathered together Sam's clothing and the tape and left the room, leaving his captive shivering on the bed, his only cover from the chilled air his thin cotton boxers.

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**That's it for now. There will be more later. I'll probably post two more chapters today. Please let me know what you think.**

**Cindy.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Okay, here is the next chapter. We have a bit of the older Winchesters, then it's back to Sam. Another warning for this chapter. There is more violence and swearing. I just want to let you know that despite the predicament that Sam is in, I have not written him to be weak or paralyzed with fear. I think he has grown from the first story. I think you'll appreciate how he stands up for himself in the face of a truly terrifying situation. That being said, read on.**

**Cindy.**

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John, Daniel and Dean waited impatiently in Dean's room for his doctor to bring him his AMA papers to sign so they could get his medications and get home to begin the search for Sam. Dean had been given a local anesthetic during his surgery and of all three men, his concussion was the least severe so John approved when his middle son stated his desire to leave against medical advice to help find his little brother. Dean's left arm was secured in a sling and was heavily bandaged. It ached dully as the pain meds he had been given began to wear off, but Dean hardly felt it, his mind anywhere but on his own aches and pains. When he had been brought to his room to find John and Daniel waiting for him, he knew something was up when Sam wasn't there also. He had nearly lost it when John told him of their suspicions that Trenton Wilcox had been the one to shoot him and cause the accident and had taken Sam as they lay unconscious in the car.

John and Dean paced the room while Daniel remained seated, his head throbbing and his dizziness not abating as quickly as his father's and brother's had. All three men turned expectant eyes on the door as it opened and an attractive, forty something woman walked in, an unsure smile on her lips.

"Dr. Spencer…do you have Dean's release papers?" John queried hastily.

"Well…right to the point," the doctor said before turning to Dean. "I really think you should stay until at least tomorrow Dean. You were shot and…"

"Yeah, I was shot so some freak could take my little brother. I'm not lying around here when my brother needs me doc. No way, no how!" Dean replied impatiently.

"The police are looking for your brother. You need to take care of yourself. You all do," Dr. Spencer said, glancing around to each man.

"Just let me sign the papers doc. We're wasting daylight here," Dean shot, his hand reaching out, fingers waiting for the papers the doctor held.

Dr. Spencer sighed and handed the papers to her patient. Dean scribbled his signature then handed the papers back to the doctor. He followed John out the door as Daniel fell in behind him. Dr. Spencer followed the men out and watched them hurry down the hallway. Shaking her head, she turned in the opposite direction and walked away.

After stopping at the pharmacy for antibiotics and pain meds, the Winchesters left the hospital and found the Impala parked in the side parking lot. John sent up a silent thank you to his friends for dropping the car off for he and his boys. Daniel helped Dean into the backseat then climbed into the front as John scooted behind the steering wheel. John's phone was to his ear as he waited on the line for Bobby to pick up on the other end. He straightened in his seat when Bobby's voice sounded in his ear.

"Hey Bobby…Yeah, he's out…He's fine, a little sore…We're all fine Bobby…No, we're heading home first then we'll meet up with you and the guys…Yeah, sounds good…See ya then…I know we will Bobby, it's just he's been gone nearly ten hours now…Yeah, okay…See ya Bobby."

Dean and Daniel listened to John's side of the conversation, pretty much able to determine Bobby's words by John's replies. John flipped his phone shut, started the car and pulled out of the parking spot then glanced in the rear view mirror to study Dean's pale face. 'Maybe Dean should still be in the hospital,' John thought but he knew he'd never stay knowing that Sam was in danger. He'd just have to keep a close eye on him and make sure he didn't overdo it. John scoffed to himself, knowing both his boys, hell himself too, would do anything for Sam regardless of their own well being. Sam was the family's priority. Always had been and always would be.

"So, what's the plan Dad?" Daniel said tiredly as he gazed across at John.

"First, we go home, change and get something to eat. Next we meet up with Bobby, Caleb and Joshua at the crash site and then we'll go from there," John answered.

"Dad?" Dean spoke up from the backseat.

"What is it Dean?" John replied, his eyes flitting to the rear view mirror.

"We're gonna find him aren't we?" Dean queried, his voice hitching.

"Of course we are Dean. We're bringing him home tonight," John answered, praying he was right.

"It's just…well, like you said…it's been ten hours. Michael Wilcox didn't have him that long and look how much damage he did. I-I'm really scared Dad. I know we're Winchesters and we don't get scared, but this is Sammy. Anything could have happened by now…" Dean said softly.

Daniel lowered his head, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him again. He waited for John to answer and when he didn't he cast a worried glance John's way and was struck by the sheer anguish he saw in the man's face. They must all be thinking the same thing. They knew what Trenton Wilcox had done with his father to those other boys. They weren't naïve enough to think Sam would come out of this unscathed, they only hoped he could recover once he was rescued.

Daniel felt rage burn through his veins as he imagined what Sam could be going through at that very moment. He ached with his need to get his hands on Trenton Wilcox and send him to the pits of hell where he belonged. Wilcox was a dead man walking and it was only a matter of time until the three elder Winchesters found him and made him suffer as he had made Sam suffer. There were just things that one did not do if they wanted to live and Trenton Wilcox must not want to live because he broke the cardinal rule. The rule that states if you put your hands on Sam Winchester, if you so much as harm one hair on his head, you die. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Daniel was startled out of his thoughts when the Impala came to a halt and John swung his door open and slid from the car. Daniel opened his door and exited his seat, slamming the door behind him. He pulled the back door open and helped Dean to his feet. The three men hurried up the stairs of their current home and entered the house. They had their clothes changed, food eaten and meds taken and were out the door in thirty minutes and on their way to meet up with the other hunters. They had a boy to find and nothing was going to get in the way of them succeeding in their task.

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Sam didn't know if he could feel any worse than he did, but he was certain he didn't want to find out. His head throbbed but he wasn't sure if he was still bleeding. His still healing stab wound ached dully. He pretty much hurt everywhere, no doubt from the roll the car he was in took down the hill. To top it all off, Sam's bladder was painfully full and he didn't know how much longer he could go before he had to relieve himself. Although he had been awake for a while now, Sam still felt sluggish and his limbs still heavy although he knew part of that was due to his being restrained.

Sam tried to lift his head, groaning as pain shot from the back of his head down his neck. His head dropped weakly back to the mattress and he rolled it to the side, his eyes staring blankly at the dingy wall to his right. Sam tensed when he heard the door to his prison open and quick footsteps make their way toward where he lay. Sam refused to look at his tormentor when he felt the mattress dip beside him and the warmth of the man's body near his side. He cringed when Trenton Wilcox began to finger his hair.

"Does that still hurt Sam?" Wilcox queried as he continued to play with the hair on the back of Sam's head.

Sam kept his eyes on the wall and said nothing. A sudden and violent yank on his hair had him crying out in pain. His head was pulled around until he was face to face with his captor. Sam sneered and gazed defiantly at the man above him.

"When I ask you a question Sam, you answer me. Understand?" Wilcox said in a low, threatening voice.

"Screw you," Sam hissed angrily.

Wilcox reached across Sam's stomach and pressed his fist into the healing stab wound on Sam's side. He continued to add pressure until Sam couldn't take it anymore and screamed out in pain.

"Gah…go to hell…asshole!" Sam panted, the pain blurring his vision.

Wilcox snorted and pressed harder as he leaned his face in near Sam's. "You are in a very precarious position Sammy boy. My advice to you would be to show a little respect," he spat.

Sam stared into his eyes and whispered through the pain, "And my…advice to you…run while you can…otherwise you're…dead."

Wilcox released Sam's side and sat up, laughing at his captive's bravado. He felt a measure of respect for the boy though. The kid had to know he was going to die, but not before he did a great deal of suffering. Wilcox didn't know if the teenager was truly brave or just plain stupid, but he had to hand it to the kid. He had guts either way. Wilcox stared down at the boy who stared right back defiantly. This was not the same boy his father had described to him. This kid was not paralyzed with fear. He was in pain and knew what lay ahead and yet he stood up to Wilcox.

Wilcox moved down the bed and uncuffed Sam's ankles, then moved back up and did the same with his wrists. He watched as Sam struggled to lift his arms, amazed at the kids determination. 'No wonder Daddy had been so drawn to the boy,' he thought to himself.

Wilcox reached down and grasped Sam's arm then pulled him up until he sat unsteadily in the middle of the mattress. Wilcox stood and pulled Sam's legs over the edge of he bed. He then pulled on Sam's arms again until the boy was standing on shaky legs. He began to guide him over the floor, but Sam dug his heels in, resisting Wilcox's pull. Wilcox turned to look at him, amused at his stubbornness.

"I would imagine you need to pee? I mean, if you want to do it in your shorts that's fine by me. I just thought you might want to use the toilet," Wilcox said evenly.

Sam glared at the man then nodded his head grudgingly before beginning to move his feet. When they finally reached the small bathroom, Wilcox positioned himself behind Sam and grasped the back of his neck. Sam turned his head slightly and cast a glance at the large man.

"Uh…could I have some privacy?" he queried, irritation in his tone.

"Don't think so. You don't have anything I haven't seen before anyway," Wilcox answered with a knowing grin.

Sam shivered with revulsion but the need to empty his bladder without wetting himself was too great so he reluctantly did his business under the watchful eye of his captor. Once he was finished Wilcox guided him to the sink.

"If you're thirsty you better grab a drink now 'cause who knows when I'll be feeling generous again," Wilcox said.

Sam glanced at the man then reached for the grimy glass that sat on the edge of he sink. He grimaced when he turned on the water and brownish red liquid spilled from the faucet. He let the water run for a few moments and although it ran a little clearer it still wasn't something Sam wanted to put in his mouth. Wilcox nudged Sam roughly at the boy's hesitation.

"Drink it or don't, I really couldn't care less, but it's all you're going to get kid. This isn't the Hilton and I don't serve bottled water," he hissed in Sam's ear.

Sam swallowed then filled the glass. He drank as much as he could before the foul taste started him gagging. Wilcox chuckled and took the glass from Sam's hand then placed it back on the sink. He pulled Sam from the bathroom and dragged him across the room then shoved him down on the chair near the bed. He yanked Sam's left arm painfully around the chair back and secured it with the restraint that hung from the left side of the seat. Sam struggled weakly but his strength was nearly non-existent and soon Wilcox had his other wrist and his ankles secured to the chair.

Wilcox stood before Sam and smiled down at him. When Sam refused to look at him, Wilcox grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back until he was forced to look up. Sam remained defiantly quiet, holding in a cry despite the pain. Wilcox shook his head at the kid's stubbornness then released Sam's hair. Sam glared at the man, but still refused to speak. Wilcox crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at the boy, hatred in his eyes.

"You know why you're here Sam. You know why I have to hurt you. You stole something from me and you have to pay for that," Wilcox said calmly, watching Sam closely as he spoke.

Sam's heart raced as the fear built up in him, but he showed no sign of that fear to Wilcox. He merely cocked his head and smiled before he replied.

"Your dad was easy to kill. He was sloppy and attacked without thought. He left himself open and he paid the price for his stupidity," Sam said evenly, all the while trying to calm his pounding heart.

Wilcox stared in shock at the boy then abruptly backhanded him across the mouth, jerking Sam's head violently to the side. Sam licked his lip as he turned his gaze back onto the enraged man, amazed that it hadn't split.

"My father wasn't stupid you little son of a bitch! You did something to him. He would never have left himself open like that unless he was bewitched in some way," Wilcox hissed, his body trembling with rage.

"I didn't do a damn thing to your father. He was sick, just like you are. What you two did to those boys…" Sam said, a shudder running through his body.

"Oh Sammy, Daddy and I had a lot more in common than just our…hobby," Wilcox said.

"What? Kidnapping, raping and strangling teenaged boys was a hobby to you?" Sam asked with disgust.

"It's just one of the things Daddy and I shared. My daddy and I were very, very close," Wilcox replied, a grotesque smirk curling his lips.

As the implications of that confession sunk in, Sam felt his stomach turn and bile rose in his throat. He swallowed it down as he stared at the insane man before him with disbelief and shock.

"Y-you…you slept…with your f-father?" Sam asked softly, his eyes widening as Wilcox's grin grew.

"Best I ever had Sammy," Wilcox shot back gleefully. "But you took all of that away from me."

"You're sick! I knew your father was…disturbed but this…this is disgusting!" Sam cried as he struggled against his restraints.

Wilcox shot forward, grabbing Sam painfully on his upper arms, his fingers digging in deep, nails drawing blood.

"Aww Sammy, are you trying to say that your daddy never touched you in that way? Maybe your big brothers got in on the act too? One big, happy family?" Wilcox taunted.

"Shut the hell up! My dad isn't a sick, demented pervert like your father was! Like you are!" Sam screamed.

"Watch what you say about my father you fucking little prick!" Wilcox hollered, backhanding Sam hard across the mouth again.

Sam spat out blood from his split lip before glaring up at Wilcox, his teeth clenched as he began to speak. "Your dad got exactly what he deserved, just like you will when my family finds you."

Wilcox laughed as he pressed his face up to Sam's. "Daddy called me you know. Told me what you'd done. How you caused his car to wreck, how you killed him. Said he couldn't wait to get his hands on you again. He said you were the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. Kinda made me jealous actually. Then you and your family went and killed him again. I figured I would have to finish what Daddy started. But I'm smarter than my daddy. Your family won't be finding you or me. All they'll be finding is your dead body laid out, naked in some field," Wilcox hissed cruelly, his eyes black as night as his pupils blew wide open.

Sam swallowed fearfully, the intense stare of his captor weakening his bravado and causing tendrils of fear to creep up his spine. He tried to speak, but his voice had betrayed him, leaving him mute.

"Daddy's right though. You are a pretty thing. Even with that scar on your cheek. So, so pretty…" Wilcox whispered as he softly smoothed his fingers over Sam's cheek then trailed them across his lips.

Sam pulled away defiantly, his eyes full of rage and disgust. He found his voice and seethed out a threat that surprised even himself. "Get your filthy fucking hands off me you sick pervert or you'll lose your whole fucking arm!"

Wilcox pulled back, a chuckle escaping his lips. He raised his hands before him in mock surrender before suddenly punching his fist into Sam's face. Sam's head rocked back violently before falling forward, leaving his chin resting on his chest. Blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth and dropped in thick strings onto his bare legs. Wilcox grabbed the hair on the back of Sam's head and jerked him up to face him. He pressed his lips to Sam's roughly, licking at the blood that seeped from the split in Sam's lip then pulled away.

"Nighty night Sammy," Wilcox whispered then violently slammed his fist into the side of Sam's head.

Sam's vision grayed and he fought valiantly to stay conscious but could not keep the darkness from overtaking him. His head fell limply forward, his chin once again resting on his chest. Wilcox reached out trembling fingers and drew them through the blood that had pooled on Sam's legs then raised them to his lips, moaning as the salty, coppery fluid touched his tongue. He sucked his fingers clean, then looked down at the bound boy. He smiled coldly then turned and left, itching to find out how the other Winchesters were faring in their futile search for their youngest member.

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**So, how do you like our spunky little Sammy? I think he certainly surprised Wilcox. Please review. More later.**

**Cindy.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Update time. Let's check in with John and the boys and see how they are faring on their search. Tissue alert.**

**Cindy.**

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The black car rumbled into the driveway of the small house and came to a halt before the small garage. The driver's door opened and John Winchester climbed out, a look of despair and dejection on his face. He bent over and looked across the front seat to the spike haired passenger who remained glued in the seat. John sighed and momentarily closed his eyes. He opened them again and gazed sadly at his middle son.

"Dean…we need to get some rest. We've been at it for hours. You and Daniel especially need to take a break. Your arm…" John started.

"I don't give a shit about my arm Dad! Every minute that sick bastard has Sammy…He could be doing God knows what to him and you just want to kick back and chill!? He's your son Dad! Your baby!" Dean cried, his voice filled with anguish.

John took a deep breath, attempting to quell his suddenly growing anger. He slid back into the car and turned to his son. "You think I'd rather come back here and chill then be out there looking for my boy?"

"We're here aren't we?" Dean said softly.

"We're here because we're ready to drop. How much good are we gonna be to Sammy if we all keel over? Dean…I wanna be out there…I wanna still be looking, but I can't think straight and you boys…I have to look out for the both of you too…" John answered wearily.

"We can look out for ourselves. We need to find Sammy. You promised Dad. You said we'd be bringing him home tonight," Dean said, tears beginning to spill down his cheeks.

John lowered his head, his eyes moving to his clasped hands that sat on his lap. "I know Dean. I'm sorry I couldn't make that happen for you…"

"We need to make it happen for Sammy. What if Trenton Wilcox…wh-what if he's…h-hurt Sammy…you know…hurt him?" Dean whispered, turning bright, tear filled eyes on his father.

John looked up and turned to his son, his heart breaking at the look of anguish on the young man's face. "Dean, I wish I could say that he hasn't done that to Sam, but…but I can't. I just…I don't know. But I do know we'll get your brother back and if that's happened, we'll do everything in our power to help Sammy."

"I don't know what to do Dad. I miss him so much and thinking about what he's going through just kills me inside. Why is it always Sammy? He's like, the best kid. He's so smart and kind, and such a little pain in the ass. I love him Dad…so much. He has to be okay," Dean said softly, wiping absently at his tears.

"I know Dean. We all love Sammy. We'll find him and we'll fix whatever damage Trenton Wilcox has done," John said in reply.

"What about Wilcox? What're we gonna do with him?" Dean queried, turning to face John once again.

"We end him. We make him suffer for daring to hurt Sammy," John answered, his voice shaking with barely contained fury.

Dean nodded and both men turned to look through the back window when the rumble of Bobby's truck interrupted their conversation. Bobby pulled in behind them and stopped his engine. He exited the driver's seat as Joshua did the same from the passenger seat. John and Dean slid from the Impala and all four men turned when Caleb's SUV pulled up to the curb in front of the house. Caleb and Daniel climbed from the vehicle and joined the other hunters as they all made their way silently to the front porch.

Dean started up the steps first and pulled up short when he reached the top, causing the other men to stop abruptly. His eyes narrowed as he looked at a package sitting on the porch floor in front of the door. The large brown paper bag had a smaller bag attached to it and Dean cocked his head curiously.

"What the hell?" he questioned out loud as he began moving again.

"What Dean? What is it?" John queried as he reached the top step.

"A package at the door. Someone left it…it's not from the post office," Dean answered as he knelt down in front of the bag.

Dean removed his small flashlight from his pocket as the other men approached. He shone the light on the bag then moved it to the smaller bag. He sucked in a startled breath when he read what was written on the small bag.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean hissed under his breath.

"Dean…what does it say?" Caleb queried, an uneasy feeling washing over him.

Dean stood, bringing the bag up with him. He shone the light on the small bag so the other hunters could read it. The men exchanged worried glances when they read the words.

_'Sammy-Session 1'_ was neatly spelled out on the brown paper.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Daniel cried with alarm.

"I think it means we're gonna find out what's happening to Sammy, and I don't think we're gonna like it," John said as he took the bag from Dean.

John pushed the front door open and entered the small house, flipping the light switch as he passed. He went immediately to the couch and set the bag on the coffee table. The other men crowded around him as he pulled the smaller bag free and opened it. A cassette tape fell into John's hand and he swallowed nervously. He looked to Dean who immediately hurried from the room, returning a few moments later with a small cassette player. John took the player from him and inserted the tape. He cast a wary glance at his sons as they sat on either side of him then he pushed the play button.

The hunters gathered closer as the tape began to play, their fury growing with each cry and whimper they heard from Sam. It was torture to listen to the shuffling noises and not know what was happening. The men nearly came undone when they heard Sam scream for his tormentor to leave him alone; to not touch him. Without being able to see what was happening, the men's imaginations took over and each one thought the worst, knowing what Trenton Wilcox had done in the past.

Daniel buried his face in his hands as his tears began to flow. He felt his father rise beside him and looked up to see John move to an armchair and pick up Sam's brown hoodie that he had left behind when they had left for the safehouse. John held the hoodie gently, his fingers caressing the thick material. Dean reached forward and picked up the tape player, suppressing a sob when a bone chilling, pain filled scream erupted from the small device. Dean began to shake when Trenton Wilcox's voice came on and said his departing line.

_'I hope you enjoyed listening to session one. Session two will be coming soon. Until then, pleasant thoughts and sweet torture.'_

Dean snapped off the machine and slammed it to the table. He cast a glance at Daniel, then to his father. John turned his saddened eyes to his middle son then stepped to the coffee table. He handed Sam's hoodie to Dean then moved between his sons and sat down. Daniel looked up at John before his gaze fell upon the large paper bag. John reached for the bag with trembling fingers and slowly opened it. He looked inside and let out a soft cry. He reached in and pulled out Sam's tattered and bloodied tee shirt. His hands shook so badly he nearly dropped the shirt. Joshua bent and gingerly took the garment from his friend, his eyes filled with sympathy.

Caleb gazed upon the dazed Winchesters then reached in the bag and pulled out Sam's shredded jeans, his breath catching at the sight of so much blood dried into the material. He set the jeans softly on the table then reached into the bag once more. What he pulled out next turned the hunter's blood to ice. Inside a clear baggie was a large lock of Sam's chocolate hair. But what had Daniel bolting for the bathroom and the other Winchesters crying out in despair was the inch and a half sized piece of bloodied scalp that the hair was still attached to.

"Oh my God…" Joshua whispered as he stared wide eyed at the gruesome offering.

Dean rocked forward and back as his eyes stared in shock at the bag. "H-He…he scalped Sammy. Oh God…Dad…he cut…Oh my God."

John could not speak; he could not move. All he could do was sit there, the agonized scream he had heard on the tape playing over and over in his mind. His hand covered his mouth as he slowly stood. He looked up as Caleb helped Daniel to the couch, the young man wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. John walked to the door and pulled it open.

"Johnny, where are you going?" Bobby called warily.

"To find my son and slaughter the bastard who did this to him," John said as he walked out the door.

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**I think John is a wee bit pissed. More coming tomorrow. Have a good night.**

**Cindy.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Alright, here is the next chapter. I'm sorry, but no warm fuzzies here. Warning: Scenes of extreme violence and strong language.**

**Cindy.**

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John stormed across the porch, his sons and friends right on his tail. He made it halfway down the steps when he glanced across the street and stopped, his jaw dropping in shock. Standing across the street, arms crossed over his chest and propped against his van, a smug smile on his face was Trenton Wilcox. The man straightened and his smile widened.

"John, I take it you received your package?" Wilcox taunted, a sparkle in his eyes.

"You son of a bitch!" John screamed as he tore across the street and slammed into the large man.

John had Wilcox by the throat and slammed up against his van by the time Dean, Daniel and the other hunters made it to his side. As Dean reached out for the detested man, John growled and shouldered him away, the look in his eyes prompting the young man to back away immediately.

"Back off! All of you just back off! This bastard's mine!" John hissed as he slammed Wilcox against the van again.

The men backed across the street and watched as John pulled Wilcox away from the van and slammed his fist into the man's face. Blood spurted from Wilcox's nose as he stumbled back. He looked up, hatred in his eyes and lunged forward, hitting John in the chest and driving him to the ground. John threw the man to the side and was straddling him in a heartbeat, his fist pounding into the man's face over and over and over. John leaned back when Wilcox started laughing, blood spilling down his chin from his ruined lips. John grabbed the man's shirt front and pulled him up until their faces were inches from each other.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, you sick piece of shit! Tell me where my son is or I will kill you here in the street!" John spat venomously.

Wilcox smiled, his teeth covered with his blood. "Go ahead and kill me John. You'll never see your precious Sammy again. He'll die a slow, painful death."

"Where is my son!?" John shouted, shoving the man back onto the asphalt.

"You'll never find him John. You kill me and poor little Sammy starves to death, tied to a chair…all alone," Wilcox hissed.

John growled and stood, dragging the man up with him. He spun around and once again slammed Wilcox against his van, his arm pressed against the man's throat.

"I'm giving you one more chance. Tell. Me. Where. My. Son. Is!" John seethed.

Wilcox smiled and suddenly brought his knee up and into John's thigh. John let out a startled yelp and let loose of Wilcox's throat, giving Wilcox the chance to grab John's arm and slam him face first against the van. The man sensed movement behind him and turned quickly, pulling John around and holding him in front of himself. He brought his arm around and the advancing hunters halted suddenly when they saw John's revolver in Wilcox's hand. The gun was trained on Daniel as Wilcox thrust John toward the other hunters. John cursed himself for allowing the man to get hold of his weapon and sent a silent apology to his sons.

"You'll never find Sam. The next time you see him, he'll be on a coroner's table," Wilcox said.

John took a step forward but stopped when Wilcox cocked the hammer on the revolver. The man shook his head and smiled.

"One more step and you'll lose one son right now," Wilcox threatened as he backed toward the driver's door of his van. Wilcox reached behind his body and opened the door then backed into the seat. With the gun still trained on Daniel, he started the van then glared hatefully at John. He brought his fingers up to his damaged face and shook his head, smiling sadistically.

"Sammy's going to pay for this Johnny. And guess what? You're going to have front row seats to see what you have caused," Wilcox said then slammed his door shut and tore down the street.

The hunters ran for their vehicles but when they attempted to start them, nothing happened. Dean jumped from the Impala and threw the hood open then slammed his fists onto the frame when he saw the destroyed distributor cap.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean shouted as John and Daniel met him at the front of the car.

John turned to look down the street where Wilcox's van had disappeared. He lowered his head in defeat. "What have I done?" he whispered regretfully to himself.

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Sam lifted his heavy head but was unable to bring it completely upright. His face ached horribly where Wilcox had punched him and his head throbbed from the abuse it had suffered. Sam licked his swollen lips with his dry, parched tongue and felt the deep split that had finally stopped bleeding. Based upon the amount of blood in his lap, Sam deduced that at least part of his weakness came from blood loss from not only his lip but his nose as well. Another part was from the abuse he had sustained and yet another part was undeniably from hunger.

Sam recalled the last thing he'd eaten was half a piece of dry toast the morning he and his family had left for the safehouse. He felt the deep hollowness in his stomach and the accompanying discomfort that came with it and wondered just how long he had been a prisoner in this hated room. Sam shifted on the chair to try and ease the pain in his back but the movement only brought pain and dizziness to his abused body. Sam swallowed against the nausea that roiled through him and wondered how much of it was due to his throbbing head and how much was due to hunger.

Sam flinched when the door to his prison opened and he closed his eyes, hoping Wilcox would think he was still unconscious and leave him alone. Sam's hopes were dashed when he felt a foot connect with his chest and he was suddenly launched backward, the chair crashing to the concrete floor. Sam screamed out when the chair hit and his wrists and hands were crushed under the weight of his body. Tears of pain leaked from his scrunched up eyes and he began to pant, his breathing bordering on hyperventilation. Sam cringed when he heard Wilcox chuckle and he slowly opened his eyes to see the man standing above him, a video recorder in hand recording every humiliating moment of his torment.

"Smile for the camera Sammy. We wouldn't want your family to think you're not having fun would we?" Wilcox taunted.

Sam rolled his head to the side, dismayed to find out that his family would see how badly he had failed to protect himself. He did however receive some comfort in Wilcox's comment in that at least he knew his family was okay and had survived the car crash that Wilcox had caused. The sudden movement of the chair as Wilcox dragged it and Sam up from the floor had Sam gasping as the crushing pressure was released from his wrists and hands. Excruciating pain shot up his arms and Sam had to pant through the pain. Black spots danced before Sam's eyes as Wilcox allowed the chair to drop heavily onto it's legs and the boy nearly gave in to the darkness that beckoned him but the thought that his family would see him kept him fighting to stay conscious.

Rough fingers reached out and grabbed Sam's chin and none to gently yanked his head up from where it rested on his chest. He gazed at the man before him, his eyes at half mast as he tried to focus. His head lolled back as Wilcox released his chin and with great effort he was able to lift it and glared at his tormentor. Wilcox stepped around the chair and focused the video recorder on Sam's already swollen and bruised wrists.

"Do your wrists hurt Sam?" Wilcox queried with faux concern.

Wilcox received only a glare in reply and chuckled with amusement. The man moved back in front of Sam and stared at him through the view finder of he recorder. The man moved back and smiled cruelly.

"Everything that happens to you today you can thank your daddy for Sam. His punishment will be your pain," Wilcox hissed.

Sam squared his shoulders as best he could manage and grinned. "My dad did that to your face? I gotta tell you…it's an improvement," Sam commented, channeling his inner Dean.

Wilcox snarled as he moved forward and backhanded Sam. Sam's head snapped to the side and it took a moment for it to clear but when it did he turned back to face Wilcox and smiled defiantly. He tasted blood, the split in his lip once more opened and bleeding.

"Anything you dish out will be worth it to see the hamburger that once was your face," Sam drawled, the fear that raged within never reaching his voice.

"We'll see how you feel afterwards Sammy boy," Wilcox spat.

Wilcox moved the table to the side and set the recorder down, positioning it so it was trained on Sam. He stood over the teenager, his arms crossed over his chest. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the cabinet on the far wall. He turned back to Sam and smiled.

"Are you hungry Sam? When was the last time you ate anyway?" Wilcox asked.

Sam remained silent and continued to glare at Wilcox, ignoring the gnawing emptiness in his stomach that Wilcox's reminder brought on. He cocked his head and smirked defiantly.

"How 'bout I get you something to eat Sammy," Wilcox said as he turned and walked to the cabinet.

Once Wilcox's back was turned, Sam turned to the video recorder and stared longingly at the lens. He suppressed a sob as he softly whispered, hoping his family would hear his words.

"I-I'm okay. Dad…whatever he does…it's not y-your fault. I just want to tell you all that I l-love you…j-just in case I d-don't…well…you know."

A single tear made it's way slowly down Sam's cheek as he turned back to see Wilcox walking his way, an open can and a spoon in his hands. He stood above the boy, smiling as he dipped the spoon into the can and scooped out a large glob of nasty looking slop. The smell reached Sam and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He glared up at Wilcox, conveying all of the contempt he felt for the man.

"Come on…open up Sammy. We wouldn't want you to starve now would we?" Wilcox taunted.

"If you think I'm eating dog food, you're more insane than I thought you were!" Sam spat.

"What? You think you're too good for dog food? You're nothing but a filthy little animal. This food's too good for you…Now open up…" Wilcox hissed.

"You can take that can and shove it up your ass!" Sam hissed hatefully.

Wilcox growled deep in his throat and tossed the spoon to the floor. He dug his fingers into the can and extracted a handful of the foul smelling slop. He set the can on the chair between Sam's legs then grabbed Sam's face, squeezing above his jaw until his mouth opened.

"How about I take it and stuff it down your fucking throat, you ungrateful little prick!" Wilcox spat.

With that, Wilcox thrust his fingers deep into Sam's mouth and shoved the ground dog food to the back of his tongue, his fingers working the food down Sam's protesting throat. Sam gagged as Wilcox pulled his fingers out and dug out more of the slop then once again pressed the food down Sam's throat. Sam struggled to free himself from the large man's grasp while also trying to dislodge the food from his throat. Swallowing was difficult with his mouth pried open and soon Sam began to choke.

Wilcox stepped back, chuckling as Sam struggled to clear his airway. Sam turned panicked eyes up to Wilcox then to the camera, pleading with his hazel orbs for someone to help him. He tried to draw air, but none could make it past the thick obstruction blocking his throat. Sam's face turned beet red as he tried to cough the slop out with no success. His lungs burned with need and his head pounded as he slammed himself against the chair back, but nothing worked to clear the blockage.

Sam's struggles lessened as his oxygen deprived body began to shut down. His vision began to gray and he turned once more to the recorder, his eyes conveying a silent goodbye to his loved ones. Suddenly Wilcox was behind Sam, his arms wrapped around the boy, his fists clasped together just below Sam's sternum. He thrust his fists in and up against Sam's diaphram and after several attempts, the glue like food sputtered up out of Sam's throat and into his mouth. He immediately began to gag and spit the food from his mouth. He twisted to the side as much as he could as he felt the meager contents of his stomach rushing up his esophagus. He retched painfully until there was nothing more to expel and he was left with the dry heaves.

Throughout Sam's ordeal, Wilcox stood back, a sadistic grin on his face. The simple fact that he had more planned for Sam spurred him into action to clear the boy's airway. It just wouldn't do for the kid to die now when Wilcox was just getting started. Once Sam was finished retching and his body sagged forward on the chair, his breaths coming in wheezy gasps, Wilcox stepped up to him and grabbed his hair then pulled his face up. Sam stared up at him with glazed eyes, his cheeks wet with panic induced tears, and waited for what was to come next.

"Did you get enough to eat Sammy? There's still more if you want," Wilcox said mockingly.

Sam swallowed painfully and eyed the man through unfocussed, glassy eyes. Coming to the conclusion that he wasn't leaving his prison alive, Sam decided to throw caution to the wind and once again channel his inner Dean. When he spoke, though his voice was weak and raspy from choking, his attitude was confident and cocky. Dean would be so proud. It was too bad, Sam thought, that he'd never hear his big brother tell him so.

"I…think I'll…p-pass. N-needs…salt…" he quipped defiantly, a victorious grin forming when he saw the look on Wilcox's face.

Wilcox stood above Sam, an incredulous look on his face as he gaped down at the boy. He wondered where this attitude was coming from. The kid should be trembling in terror yet all he was giving was attitude. Wilcox thought again of how this was not the same timid, compliant boy his father described. It would take more to break the kid than he originally thought, but he felt confident he was up to the challenge.

Wilcox reached behind his back and removed the item he had been hiding there. He brought his hand around and Sam's tired eyes widened when he saw what the man held. He glanced up when Wilcox spoke.

"Do you recognize this Sammy? I took it off your father when he attacked me for no reason. How ironic that it's going to be your father's gun that ends your life," Wilcox taunted as he waved the revolver in front of Sam.

Sam glared at the man and smiled softly. "I'll never fear my father's gun…" he rasped.

"You will fear it Sammy boy. You most definitely will…" Wilcox hissed in reply.

Wilcox turned so the video recorder could pick up him removing all but one cartridge then him slamming the swing out cylinder shut before spinning it, chuckling when it came to a stop. He stepped up to Sam and grasped his face, pulling it up and forcing Sam's mouth open. He pushed the barrel between Sam's lips until it hit the back of Sam's mouth. Sam could not stop the look of abject terror in his eyes as Wilcox cocked the hammer. Wilcox glared down at the boy, a sinister smile curling his lips.

"I don't know Sam…you look pretty scared to me. Shall we see how scared you can get?" Wilcox queried sadistically.

Without warning, Wilcox pulled back on the trigger and Sam cried out as a loud click sounded. Sam couldn't control the tears that welled in his eyes as Wilcox pushed the barrel further into the back his throat. Sam gagged at the intrusion and he feared he was close to passing out. His heart pounded painfully in his chest and he began to silently pray that it would give out before the filled chamber's turn came around. Sam could think of nothing worse than dying by his father's gun. Wilcox grinned as he spun the cylinder again. He cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger, relishing the fear that flowed from Sam in waves. Wilcox repeated the process twice more before he swung the cylinder out and grinned when he saw the next chamber held the lone cartridge.

Wilcox pulled the barrel from Sam's mouth and dropped his hand to his side. He let loose of Sam's face and listened as the boy whimpered, Sam's thin frame trembling uncontrollably. Sam's chin lowered to his chest and tears dropped to his lap as he started to softly cry. Wilcox knelt in front of the boy and reached out to lift his face slightly. Sam's moist eyes found his and Wilcox grinned.

"Can you still say you don't fear your father's gun Sammy?" he queried.

"N-not his g-gun…and n-not you…" Sam replied softly. "'m not afraid t-to die."

"Okay…maybe you aren't, but I know something you are afraid of Sam. Something that will destroy you and your precious family," Wilcox said, straightening his body.

Wilcox pushed between Sam's knees and tilted Sam's head back then pressed his lips roughly to Sam's, forcing his tongue into the struggling boy's mouth. His hand moved softly over Sam's chest, his fingers tracing over the scar left by Michael Wilcox's teeth. Sam whimpered softly as he imagined what Wilcox had in mind. He prayed that his family wouldn't have to witness his degradation and his prayers were answered when Wilcox pulled away and reached over, turning the video recorder off.

Wilcox pushed off his knees and stood before Sam, his hands resting on his hips. Sam raised his wide eyes and swallowed nervously. Sam tried to prepare himself for what was to come, but was not prepared when Wilcox reached into his pocket and pulled out a fluid filled syringe. Wilcox removed the cap, flicked the bubbles from the fluid and stuck the needle in Sam's arm, forcing the fluid into his muscle. Sam opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue was numb and he could not say a word.

Sam's eyes began to close and the last thing he saw before he was enveloped in darkness was Wilcox's sneering face.

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**Well, that's it for now. More to come later. I hope you will let me know how you felt about this chapter. Take care.**

**Cindy.**


	32. Chapter 32

**More of the story for you as promised. We get a bit of Bobby and his feelings about the Winchesters. Then, they receive the tape. You may need tissues. Enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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Bobby sat quietly at the kitchen table, his hands wrapped loosely around a cooling mug of coffee. He stared into the dark liquid, his mind a million miles away. Bobby wasn't a religious man, but he had found himself praying a lot lately. These past few days had been torturous as he not only had the youngest Winchester heavily on his mind, but the rest of the small family also. The older Winchesters were unraveling before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it other than to bring their beloved Sammy home.

Bobby listened to the quietness of the house and it unnerved him considerably. The Winchester home was never quiet, no matter where that home may be. There was always the banter of the older brothers with Sam's voice mixed in on occasion. John's deep, gravely voice could always be heard as he talked through the facts and fictions of a certain hunt. Then there was Sam. Always questioning, wanting to see every side to a problem. Wanting to learn all that he could. It drove John and his brothers crazy, but Bobby knew without a doubt that they longed for that voice to be asking those questions right now.

Bobby sighed and stood from the table. He dumped his cold cup of coffee down the drain and poured himself a fresh cup. He sat again and leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table edge. The older Winchesters had Bobby deeply worried. Dean's temper had become hair trigger and the littlest things set him off. Caleb had picked up Sam's brown hoodie earlier in the day and Dean had nearly taken his head off. It had taken both John and Joshua to pull him off the startled hunter. Dean had apologized before grabbing the hoodie and hurrying from the house. Bobby had found Dean locked in the Impala, sobbing into the brown jacket, his hands fisted so tightly around the material that his knuckles turned white. It had taken nearly an hour to get Dean to come out of the car. It wasn't long after that that the three Winchesters had left on yet another search for their most cherished family member.

Daniel had become quiet and withdrawn, not speaking much unless spoken to directly. He was in a constant state of research, looking for any clues on the tape that could lead them to his baby brother. He was often seen with wet cheeks and his eyes were perpetually puffy and red. No one commented on it and Daniel didn't really seem to care if everyone knew he cried a lot of the time. The only thing he concerned himself with was finding Sam and killing the monster who'd dared to hurt him. He spoke little, ate next to nothing and refused to sleep. To say Bobby was worried about him was a huge understatement.

Then there was John. Bobby had never seen his friend in such a state; not even a year ago in Phoenix had he seemed so lost. When John wasn't out searching for his baby, he was most likely to be found in Dean and Sam's room, either sitting or lying on Sam's bed, the pillow or blankets pulled close to his nose. He'd explained to Bobby that it gave him comfort to be able to breathe in the scent of his youngest boy. John's demeanor had changed since Wilcox's visit that morning. He'd taken on this air of absolute desperation and was unable to keep still for even a second. Bobby had managed to get him to eat a little before the man had rushed outside to begin repairs on the Impala. Joshua and Caleb had taken care of the other vehicles while Bobby watched over the brothers and as soon as the cars were running, the men had left, beginning another search for the gray van and it's soon to be dead owner.

John was in an absolute state of subdued panic when they arrived back at the house a few hours later. Bobby knew that Wilcox's departing words were weighing heavily on John's mind and he also knew John would never forgive himself for being the cause of any of Sam's pain. John had insisted that the boys get some sleep, and at least one of them obliged. Although Dean fought with everything he had to stay awake, he finally succumbed while propped in the armchair in the livingroom. John reluctantly stretched out on the couch and fell into a fitful slumber. Daniel eyed his sleeping family nervously and once again grabbed up the tape recorder, taking it to his room and listening to it for the umpteenth time. It was a few hours after that that Dean had awakened to Caleb handling Sam's hoodie and things got a bit crazy.

John and the boys had been gone for three hours now and Bobby was alone with his thoughts as Caleb and Joshua caught up on some much needed sleep. A knock at the door had Bobby scrambling to his feet, his thoughts of the Winchesters cast from his mind as the possible threat took front and center. Bobby reached for his gun on the counter as he headed for the door. The knocking sounded again just as Bobby stepped up to the door. His hand curled around the knob and he flung the door open, his gun held prominently in front of him.

"What the hell to you want!?" Bobby demanded as the door swung open, the person standing there jumping back in surprise.

A kid of no more than eighteen or nineteen stood trembling on the porch, a small package clutched tightly in his shaking hands. He tried to speak but the sight of the grizzled man with the mean looking gun held tightly in his hand left him tongue tied.

"Well boy? Answer me! What do you want?" Bobby asked again, his voice a bit more controlled as he stared at the terrified young man.

"I-I…uh…I need t-to give this to…to John Winchester," the kid stammered as he held out the package.

Bobby looked down, his stomach knotting as he took in the small package. He reached out and grabbed the item, ripping the paper from it and sighing loudly when he saw he held a video tape. He looked at the kid, his eyes narrowed.

"Where did you get this?" he queried evenly, not wanting to scare the young man further.

"Um…some guy. He gave me fifty bucks to deliver it to this address. Uh…are you John Winchester?" the kid answered.

"John's not here right now, but I'll make sure he gets this," Bobby said distractedly.

"Oh. Uh…the guy was pretty adamant that John Winchester get the package. So…um…" the boy stammered.

"He'll get it. He's just not here right now. Now…where were you when the man approached you? Where did he go after he gave you the tape?" Bobby queried, hoping to get some useful information.

"Uh…I was at Louie's over on Woodland. He pulled up in a gray van, offered me the money and gave me the package and address. He left going…uh…he went south," the boy answered.

"Okay…you better git before John gets here," Bobby said as he backed into the house.

"Sure…okay," the kid said before turning and practically flying off the porch and to his waiting car.

Bobby shut the door and stared down at the tape, swallowing nervously. The wording was simple, but terrifying. It simply said _'Sammy-Session two'_ but remembering Trenton Wilcox's anger at John and his threat before speeding away, Bobby dreaded what they would see. Caleb's voice brought Bobby's attention away from the tape. He stared at Caleb for a moment before moving across the room to the phone.

"Bobby…I asked who was at the door. What's up old man?" Caleb questioned as he watched Bobby pick up the phone and begin to dial.

Bobby held the tape out for Caleb and the younger hunter took it, his breath hitching when he saw the writing. Joshua shuffled tiredly into the room and eyed the two men curiously. Caleb held the tape up for him to see and he sucked in a nervous breath. Both men turned to Bobby when they heard him speak.

"Yeah…Johnny…just listen okay. You need to get home…No Johnny, Sam's not here…There's been another package delivered…a video cassette…Yeah, I know…okay, yeah…just get home John."

Bobby hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen. He started a fresh pot of coffee then began to make sandwiches. He stacked the sandwiches on a plate and set the plate on the table. He sat in the chair he had vacated minutes before and waited for John and his boys to arrive. Caleb and Joshua joined Bobby, all three men staring at the tape that Caleb set on the table with trepidation. None of them wanted to see what was on that tape, nor did they want the Winchesters to witness it. They didn't want to view it, but they knew they had to. They had to see what kind of shape Sam was in, but they also hoped they could find some clue as to his whereabouts.

The three hunters sat for about fifteen minutes before they heard the familiar rumble of the Impala as it pulled into the driveway. It didn't take long before the three haggard looking Winchester men rushed through the front door and into the kitchen. John's eyes immediately fell to the video tape and his face went white. Bobby reached up and grasped his arm then pulled him down onto the chair beside him.

"You three, eat first then we'll see what's on that tape," Bobby commanded, his eyebrows raising when the men showed signs of protesting.

Dean and Daniel poured themselves and the other men some coffee then sat down. Each man grabbed a sandwich and they ate in silence, all six pairs of eyes glued to the video tape. When they finally finished, John reached for the tape with trembling fingers and picked it up. He stood and headed for the livingroom, the other hunters following hesitantly behind. John slid the tape into the VCR and turned on the television. The men crowded around the couch and once everyone was settled, John pushed the play button on the VCR, the men gasping when they got their first look at their missing family member.

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_'Sammy looks like crap'_ was Dean's first thought when the tape began to play. Although somewhat dark, the men could easily see dried blood below Sam's nose and covering his chin. His lip was deeply split and his nose looked bruised and swollen. His hair was greasy and disheveled as it hung limply over his lowered face. He sat slumped in an armless chair, his body sagging as if he had no strength to hold himself upright. He was clothed only in dirty, blood encrusted boxers. His wrists were bound to either side of the chairback by what looked like thin leather straps. They could only assume his ankles were bound in the same way to the chair legs.

The hunters jumped when Trenton Wilcox kicked out from behind the camera, hitting Sam square in the chest and knocking him over backwards in his chair. They winced when he screamed out as the chair landed on his wrists and hands. Sam seemed to be having trouble breathing as he panted in pain and the hunters could barely contain the fury that was building in each one of them. Daniel swallowed when Sam turned his head, a look of shame on his face when Wilcox's hateful voice told him he was being filmed so his family could see what was happening to him. Sam was suddenly yanked back up from the floor and they could see the pain etched into his soft features.

Sam's head dropped down to his chest as the chair landed on its legs. Dean snarled to himself when Wilcox's hand reached out and yanked Sam's face up. The image jumped dizzyingly when Wilcox walked around Sam and focused on his already bruising wrists. Wilcox was suddenly back in front of Sam and John cringed inwardly when Wilcox informed Sam that the torture he would endure that day was his father's fault. Sam's very Dean-like reply brought out murmurs of praise and admiration from the fuming hunters.

Wilcox moved to put the camera down and the men were now looking at Sam from a different angle. They could see his bruised face and body and could fully comprehend how exhausted and in pain he was. Wilcox said something about getting Sam something to eat and they all wondered when he had eaten last. Once Wilcox left their view Sam turned his haunted eyes directly to the camera and the men drew in quick breaths at the pain and fear they saw in the soulful depths. The men strained to hear the words Sam spoke, and not an eye remained dry when they realized Sam was attempting to make them feel better about his situation. John shook his head furiously when Sam absolved him of any fault in what was to come.

"No Sammy…I am to blame," John whispered as he gazed into the eyes of his baby boy.

The men reached a whole new level of anger when they realized Wilcox intended to feed Sam canned dog food. They silently cheered when Sam told the man to shove the food up his ass, but recoiled in horror when the monster began to shove the food down the gagging boy's throat with his fingers. John jumped up from the couch when it was evident Sam was choking and was joined by Dean and Daniel when it appeared Wilcox was going to allow their brother to choke to death.

"Sammy! No!" Daniel screamed at the screen, watching in horror as Sam slammed his body against the chairback. "Do something you son of a bitch!"

The men sighed in relief when Wilcox rushed behind Sam and performed the Heimlich maneuver on him, succeeding in clearing the panicked boy's throat. They stared on as Sam vomited violently onto the floor for what seemed like forever and then collapsed in on himself, his breaths sounding labored and painful. John hissed hatefully when Wilcox grabbed Sam's hair and pulled his head back until his face was tilted up.

Wilcox's cruel question of whether Sam wanted more food was met with Sam's defiant glare and his comment had his family swelling with pride. The silence that followed left the men silently cheering as Sam's defiance had left his tormentor speechless. The moment soon turned much more dangerous when they saw Wilcox remove John's revolver from his waistband and wave it in front of Sam's astonished face. John sagged to the couch when Sam softly told Wilcox that he would never fear John's gun. A feeling of dread spread through the men when Wilcox informed the boy that he would indeed fear John's gun.

They watched as Wilcox removed all but one cartridge from the gun's cylinder. He stepped up to the defiant boy. The men cried out in startled alarm as Wilcox grabbed Sam's face and forced his mouth open then shoved the barrel of the gun into it. Wilcox cocked the hammer then after a moment he pulled the trigger, eliciting cries of rage from the Winchester men.

Caleb, Joshua and Bobby looked at each other, unable to fathom what this was doing to their friends. They especially feared for John, whose weapon was being used in this newest torture. They glared at the screen as Wilcox shoved the gun deeper into Sam's mouth and pulled the trigger several more times, each click causing the boy's loved ones to jump violently. Finally, Wilcox pulled the gun from Sam's mouth and the boy collapsed, his soft cries tearing his family and friends apart.

The men couldn't have been more full of awe and pride when Sam told Wilcox he still did not fear John's gun or him. Their horror was renewed when Wilcox pushed between Sam's knees and violently began to kiss him. The three hunters who stood behind the couch could see the Winchester men begin to shake with rage as Wilcox glided his hand over Sam's chest. Sam's soft whimpers were the catalyst that finally broke John and the enraged man jumped to his feet and stormed across the room, attacking any object that got in his path. By the time John had destroyed nearly everything in the room, the image on the tape had disappeared, replaced with static filled snow and the remaining hunters stared at the screen, terrified of what had happened after the filming stopped.

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**That's it for today. I hope you liked it. More tomorrow.**

**Cindy.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Okay, here is the next chapter. I will probably post three today as I will be on the road tomorrow, traveling to see my dad and I will most likely only have time for one chapter per day for the rest of the week. This chapter carries a tissue alert. WARNING: Torture scene at end of chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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Dean stood in the doorway of he and Sam's room, his eyes resting sadly on the hunched form of his father as the older man sat on Sam's bed, Sam's pillow clutched tightly in his hands. John lowered his face into the pillow and drew in a deep breath then lifted his face, his eyes closed tight. Dean took a step into the room and John's eyes opened when Dean hit one of the many creaky floorboards. Dean's heart broke when he saw the lost and empty look in his father's eyes. He imagined his eyes held the same look and he avoided the mirror over Sam's dresser when he slowly walked across the room.

"Dad?" Dean asked softly, his eyes watching John's face nervously. "You okay?"

"M-My gun. He used my gun Dean. He put it in Sam's mouth and…and he…" John whispered brokenly.

Dean closed his eyes, the images from the tape playing over and over in his head. He sat next to John, his hands clasped nervously together.

"I know Dad, but…it's not your fault. It's…" Dean started.

"No…it is my fault. I attacked Wilcox and allowed him to get my gun. He took his anger out on Sammy…with my weapon," John replied, his voice cracking as he spoke his baby's name.

"What were you supposed to do Dad? He showed up here, smug and cocky. You did what you had to do."

"I let my emotions govern my actions. I screwed up and Sam paid for it. If we find him, how could he ever look at me again?"

John lowered his face into Sam's pillow again as Dean draped his arm across the older man's back. "He doesn't blame you Dad. He said he didn't. There's only one person to blame here and it's Trenton Wilcox."

"He was saying goodbye. Those damn eyes of his. He was begging for us to help him, but he was really saying goodbye…" John said, his voice trailing off.

"When? What are you talking about?" Dean queried.

"When…when he spoke to us and…and when he was choking…he looked at the camera. His eyes were pleading with us to save him, but I saw. He was saying goodbye. He doesn't think we'll find him…"

"Dad…we will…" Dean said softly.

"I don't know Dean. It's going on three days now and we're no closer to finding Sam…" John said with defeat.

"Uh-uh…no way! We're not giving up Dad! You're not giving up. I won't let you. We'll find Sam. You're upset about what you saw…we all are, but we can't give up. Not on Sammy…never on Sammy," Dean cried as he stood abruptly from the bed.

John looked up into his son's face, his dark eyes lost and sad. "We've only seen a glimpse of what Sam's going through. We don't have a clue how much more has been done to him that Wilcox won't let us see. We have no idea where they are…we've looked everywhere…"

"Then we keep looking. We never stop looking Dad. Sammy wouldn't if he were in our shoes," Dean said evenly.

John shook his head, a sad smile gracing his face. "No…he wouldn't. Damn kid's so stubborn. So strong…so much stronger than me."

"Yeah…stronger than all of us. We're gonna find him Dad…I know we are," Dean said, his hand reaching out to grasp John's shoulder.

John nodded and stood, placing the pillow he'd been holding gently back into place. He cast a glance at Dean and smiled.

"Where's Danny? Is he okay?" John queried with worry.

"He's out in the backyard. I think Caleb's with him," Dean answered.

"We need to get him then we need to get some sleep…" John held his hand up when Dean began to protest. "Sam needs us at our best. We're like the walking dead right now and we won't do him any good like this. Just a few hours Dean."

Dean nodded, his stomach in knots. He felt guilty even thinking about sleep when Sam was out there somewhere, but he knew John was right. He followed his father out of the room, casting a troubled glance over his shoulder at Sam's empty bed.

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Daniel sat on the bottom step of the porch, his eyes gazing out over the back yard. He couldn't get the look in Sam's eyes out of his mind. Sam's eyes held a hint of desperation but for the most part they were resigned. Daniel sensed that his baby brother was saying goodbye and he just couldn't accept that they may never see him alive again. He couldn't bare the thought of never hearing that soft, gentle voice or Sam's infectious, beautiful laugh. He couldn't fathom never seeing the smile that lit up a room or the gentle awkwardness as Sam fixed up one of their wounds.

Silent tears trailed over Daniel's cheeks as he thought of happier times. Sam's embarrassed excitement as he told them of his first time with Alisa. How his eyes lit up whenever he knew he was going to see her. The relief that always shone in his eyes when he stood by the door as his family returned safely from a hunt. He thought back to when Sam was little. He could feel Sam's warm little hand clutched tightly to his on Sam's first day of kindergarten. How excited, but frightened at the same time his baby brother had been. So wanting to be independent, but still needing his family near him.

A soft smile spread over Daniel's lips at the bittersweet memories. Now he may never see those beautiful eyes or hear that gentle voice again and Daniel's smile slipped away as thoughts turned to Wilcox and what he was doing to his sweet, gentle brother. Daniel flinched when a hand rested softly on his shoulder and he looked up to see Caleb standing over him, a comforting smile on his face.

"You okay Danny?" Caleb queried as he sat down next to his younger friend.

Daniel shook his head and smiled sadly. "No Caleb, I'm not. I won't be okay until we have Sammy back."

Caleb pursed his lips, wishing he had something inspirational to say. The fact of the matter was that there was nothing he could say to make Daniel, or any of them for that matter, feel better. They were missing the most important link in their chain and until that link was recovered, safe and sound, the chain would remain broken. Caleb lowered his head, his eyes gazing at his folded hands.

"Danny, I wish I could say something to help ease your pain. I can't say I know how you feel…" Caleb started.

Daniel looked at Caleb, his brow creased with confusion. "You do know how I feel though Caleb. You're family, just as Bobby and Joshua are. I know how you feel about Sam. I know you're in pain just like the rest of us. He's our Sammy…not just mine, Dean and Dad's. He's yours too."

Caleb looked away, unable to keep eye contact. He blinked away the tears that threatened to fall, his heart breaking at Daniel's words. He'd always felt closer than just a fellow hunter and friend to John and his boys. Since losing his family so long ago, the Winchesters, Bobby and Joshua had been the closest he'd come to family. Losing Sam was like losing his own little brother all over again and it tore at his insides to think about the pain Sam was experiencing. The fact that Daniel, and he hoped the rest of the Winchesters, felt as close to him as he felt to them made Caleb's heart swell. He straightened with renewed energy and clapped Daniel on the shoulder.

"We're getting him back Danny. I'll die if I have to if that's what it takes to get him back to you," Caleb said confidently.

Daniel turned to Caleb and smiled. He nudged the older man with his shoulder. "No one's dying except Trenton Wilcox, Caleb."

The two men sat side by side, staring out across the yard, unaware of the two older men who watched from the opened back door, their own hearts breaking anew.

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The pain slowly brought Sam back to consciousness. Pain in his head, his face, his empty stomach. He really couldn't figure out if there was any place on his body that didn't hurt. He felt different though. First of all, he was lying down, his arms stretched above his head. Secondly, he felt as though even if he weren't bound he still wouldn't be able to move. His whole body felt heavy. Too heavy for him to move and he wondered why he felt that way. He remembered Trenton Wilcox injecting him yet again with some unknown drug, but he felt different than the other times. His tongue felt thick and numb and he wondered if it was from whatever drug Wilcox had given him or if it was due to the gun being forced into his mouth.

Sam sensed eyes upon him and he slowly opened his own only to snap them shut again when he saw Wilcox sitting on the chair near his feet. He turned his face to the wall, refusing to acknowledge his tormentor. He flinched when he felt a hand touch his foot then move slowly up his leg before coming to rest just above his knee. He shivered when he heard Wilcox's hate filled voice.

"Open those eyes Sammy boy. I know you're awake so there's no use ignoring me. I think you know what happens when I get angry," the man said, his tone sickly sweet.

Sam made no move to comply and the hand that rested on his leg squeezed him painfully before releasing its hold. Sam slowly turned his head and opened his eyes, glaring at the man who had made his life a living hell. He refused to show his fear and give Wilcox any satisfaction. Sam's eyes widened when Wilcox reached down to the floor and picked up a strange looking device. It was about a foot and a half long, tubular and had two prongs sticking out of one end. His heart began to pound as he wondered what Wilcox had in mind for him this time. Wilcox smiled when he saw the question in his captive's eyes. He held the device up and caressed it softly with his fingertips.

"You want to know what this is Sam?" Wilcox asked coyly.

"I really don't give a rat's ass what it is you sick pervert!" Sam shot defiantly.

Wilcox chuckled as he shook his head. "You know…Daddy said you were so sweet, but you've got quite the potty mouth on you. You need to get your mind out of the gutter Sam. Now, maybe I'll just show you what it is."

Wilcox trailed the metal object up Sam's leg and over his hip before stopping it at the waistband to his boxers. He grinned when Sam swallowed, the boy unable to hide the fear in his eyes from his captor. Wilcox traced the edge of Sam's waistband back and forth, the cool metal bringing up goosebumps where it touched his exposed skin. Suddenly, Wilcox pulled the device away and leaned back in his chair. He pressed the prongs on the end against the bottom of Sam's left foot and a surge of electricity shot up Sam's leg and through his body.

Sam cried out, his body twitching spastically as Wilcox continued to hold the device to his foot. The smell of burnt flesh reached Sam's nose and he swallowed deeply to push down the bile that rose in his throat. The twitching stopped as Wilcox pulled the device away and he smiled broadly at the whimpering boy.

"This here is a cattle prod Sam. This model is from the 1950's so it's not quite as humane as today's models. You were thinking it was something dirty weren't you?" Wilcox said as he eyed the panting boy.

Sam opened his eyes, the pain evident as the contact point on his foot burned with excruciating intensity. "G-Go to…hell!" Sam spat through clenched teeth.

Wilcox ignored Sam's comment and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, the cattle prod held loosely in his hand. He eyed his captive gleefully, drinking in the pain and fear he felt in the boy.

"I suppose it could be used for that…but that's not what I'm here for. It's not what you're here for. I'm not gonna rape you Sam. That was my daddy's thing," Wilcox said.

Sam looked at him hopefully, not sure whether to believe him. "But you…you raped those other boys…" he started, his voice low and weak.

"Because that's what Daddy wanted. I'm really not interested in boys. Now…I'd love to get my hands on that daddy of yours. What a fine specimen he is…" Wilcox said slyly.

Sam narrowed his eyes and glared at the man. "Don't talk about my dad," he hissed.

"Oh Sammy…how cute. The little boy thinks he's tough. Let's see how tough you really are," Wilcox quipped before pressing the cattle prod to the bottom of Sam's right foot.

The pain was instant and excruciating. Sam's body convulsed as the current coursed through him. Sam's foot felt on fire, the skin searing and blistering at the contact points. Wilcox removed the prod just as Sam felt his throat begin to close and he sucked in lungfuls of air as his body continued to twitch uncontrollably. Sam's hair stuck to his sweat soaked brow as he writhed on the bed, the pain nearly unbearable.

"That's n-not…not a n-normal cattle prod," Sam stammered, his words slurred.

"Ahh…you got me there. I dinked around a bit with it. It's super charged now," Wilcox cackled with delight at Sam's shocked expression.

"W-Why are you doing this? Why n-not just kill me. That's what you want," Sam whispered.

"Because this is **_my_** thing. Daddy was like '_Get the boy, have some fun, then kill the boy._' I prefer to make things last longer. Inflicting pain…now there's a turn on," Wilcox answered, his eyes closing momentarily.

"You're sick, you know that right? These things you're doing…they're not right. You're dad really messed you up…" Sam said.

Wilcox snarled and pressed the prod roughly into Sam's ribs. Sam's body arched off the bed as the current tore through him. Blood trickled over his lips as he bit violently into his tongue. Sam emitted a deep, gutteral moan from his throat as his body was slammed with wave after wave of electrical current.

"How much more can you take Sammy boy? Soon your heart will start to palpitate and not long after that it'll stop," Wilcox hissed as he continued to administer his punishment.

Sam's eyes rolled back in his head as the assault continued then he abruptly crashed back to the filthy mattress when the prod was pulled away. He tried to catch his breath as his heart beat furiously in his chest. Sweat coated his body and he began to shiver uncontrollably as the chilled air cooled the moisture on his skin. Sam jumped when he felt fingers move over his chest and he opened his eyes to see Wilcox tracing the bruise that his boot had left the previous day. Wilcox spoke as he continued to touch Sam, his voice low and dangerous.

"Daddy didn't do anything to me that I didn't want Sammy. He…ahhh…I get it now. You think Daddy seduced me," Wilcox whispered. "You're wrong. I seduced him Sam."

Wilcox moved from his chair to sit next to Sam on the mattress. Sam turned his to face to the wall when the large man bent down toward him. Wilcox's lips ghosted over Sam's cheek then moved slowly down his exposed throat and over his chest. When he came to the bite mark left by his father, Wilcox stopped. His tongue played over the scar before he suddenly bit into Sam's flesh, eliciting a shocked cry from the semi-conscious teen. Wilcox bit through the scar, leaving his own mark on Sam's abused chest. He pulled up and smiled as blood pooled in the wound, his teeth stained red. He reached over and pulled Sam's face around then leant over and kissed Sam deeply, chuckling at the struggling boy.

"Do you taste your blood Sam? Taste how sweet it is? It's intoxicating," Wilcox whispered as he bent down and flicked his tongue through the pooling blood.

"P-please…just stop. Just kill me…end this now," Sam said softly, pleadingly, his voice barely audible.

Wilcox chuckled and raised his head. He gazed into the glassy hazel eyes of his captive. "Not yet Sammy. There's still one session to go then you'll get your release," the man said sadistically.

"My f-family will find you. You're gonna die for what you've done to me," Sam said softly as he fought to remain conscious.

Wilcox snorted before he replied. "What makes you think they're even still looking for you? You are a small, insignificant insect. They're probably glad to be rid of you. I've only freed them from their burden. Believe me, I know what a burden you are. All I hear is 'I have to go to the bathroom,' or 'I'm thirsty.' It's always about you Sam. Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?"

Sam stared with unfocussed eyes, his body trembling with pain and despair. He knew his family was still looking for him but he still wondered if Wilcox was at least partially correct. He was a burden to his family, he knew that to be true. He tried not to be, but he couldn't keep from screwing up thus leaving his family to pick up the pieces over and over. Sad tears fell from tired eyes and Sam flinched when Wilcox's voice suddenly sounded again.

"You knew you were being followed. You knew you were being watched, but you didn't tell your pretty little girlfriend. She died because of you Sammy. If you would've told her, if you would've stayed at her house like you should have, she'd still be alive. You aren't worth it Sam. You're not worth dying for."

Sam turned his face away, his body wracked with his heart wrenching sobs. Wilcox was right. He was responsible for Alisa's death, his mother's death too. Sam prayed that his family had given up on him and had stopped looking for him. He couldn't bare it if any of them were hurt or killed because of him. He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth anything. He silently asked why God had even allowed him to be born. He'd brought nothing but pain and disappointment to those he loved; death to some. He wondered how his family could possibly love him. He hated himself for bringing such sorrow upon his father and brothers. When he felt the prick of a needle in his arm, he welcomed the coming darkness, praying that he'd never see the light of day again.

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**I think Sam is coming to the end of his endurance. Maybe it's time to start thinking about getting him out of that prison? Don't worry, it's close at hand. He's not out of there yet, but I promise, it's not much longer before he is away from Wilcox. I can't tell you how he ends up to be away from the vile scum, just that he will be away. Reviews are addictive.**

**Cindy.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Next chapter here for you. This one makes me very nervous, as it did the first time I posted this story on the other site. WARNING: Scene of intense, brutal torture. This is the last chapter that includes torture. I hope that I don't scare any of you away. I really think you will want to stick around. Our Sammy is not to be counted out, no matter what you read. Tissue alert.**

**Cindy.**

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Consciousness returned slowly to Sam and he wished he could return to the pain free darkness he had emerged from, where his feet didn't burn with agonizing intensity and his chest and ribs didn't ache from the abuse they had suffered. Sam opened his eyes and sucked in a breath when he spied Trenton Wilcox sitting on the end of the bed, gazing at him intently. Sam rolled his head to the side, the movement causing dizziness to wash over him. He squeezed his eyes shut as his body broke out in a cold sweat and slight tremors vibrated through him, his bound hands shaking uncontrollably. Sam turned his gaze back on Wilcox when he heard the man chuckle. He glared at the man as best as his heavy lids allowed as he struggled to stay awake.

"Wh-what's wrong w-with me? What d-did you g-give me this t-time?" Sam asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Are you feeling dizzy? Shaky maybe…sweaty?" Wilcox asked with amusement.

"What d-did you give me?" Sam asked again, his head pounding with each beat of his heart.

"Oh…well, I just gave you a little shot of insulin Sammy. You're feeling the effects of very low blood sugar. I didn't give you enough to put you in a coma, but I imagine you're not feeling well right now. Am I right?" Wilcox said, his smile turning into a sneer.

Sam glared at his captor, refusing to reply to the cruel man. He closed his eyes, hoping to relieve the dizziness that was washing over him again. Sam began to panic as nausea roiled through his stomach and bile rose in his throat. He swallowed against the burning sensation, but the bile refused to be pushed back. Sam jerked his head to the side as the bile spewed from his mouth, soaking his hair and the dirty mattress beneath him. Sam continued to heave long after his stomach was empty and he collapsed against the mattress in exhaustion when the spasms finally ended. He rolled his head away from the mess he had made, wrinkling his nose against the sour smell.

Wilcox laughed at Sam's discomfort then turned and began to release his ankles from their restraints. Sam shivered when Wilcox moved his hand up his leg, over his hipbone and on up his torso, before resting his fingers on the recent bite mark he had left. He moved his hand again, tracing his fingers up Sam's arm then beginning on the restraints around his wrists. Sam's arms fell limply onto the mattress, his right arm jerking when it came in contact with the mess Sam had left. Sam flinched violently when Wilcox grabbed his upper arms and pulled him up from the mattress.

Holding Sam up with one hand, Wilcox reached down with the other and pulled Sam's legs over the edge of the bed. Sam gulped in mouthful after mouthful of air as dizziness slammed into him and he struggled feebly as Wilcox pulled him up to his feet. Sam cried out in agony when his burnt feet met the floor and he cringed when Wilcox wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. Wilcox dragged Sam to the chair, but instead of sitting him down, Wilcox climbed onto the chair and pulled Sam's left arm up then clamped a handcuff that hung from the ceiling tightly around his wrist. Sam cried out in pain as the metal bit into his skin and cried out again when Wilcox jerked his other arm up and secured it in the same manner. Wilcox climbed down from the chair and pushed it aside before coming to stand in front of the trembling boy. Sam shuffled awkwardly, his feet barely touching the floor. Pain tore through his shoulders as his weight pulled at the joints and he pushed up with his toes as far as he could to relieve the tension.

Wilcox grabbed Sam's face and lifted it up to meet his. He fisted his hand in Sam's hair and leaned in, his lips just touching Sam's ear.

"You stole my father…my lover from me," Wilcox hissed dangerously. "You tore away my soul and I'm going to punish you by tearing away your flesh."

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Dean glanced across the front seat of the Impala, his eyes falling on his silent brother who sat in the passenger seat, his eyes gazing blankly out the side window. Dean pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down nervously. He turned his attention back through the windshield, observing the light traffic that passed him on either side. He listened to Daniel's soft breathing and tried to come up with the magical words he could say to bring his brother out of the funk he'd been in since they had viewed the tape of Sam's torture. Nothing came to mind, maybe because he was feeling the same as his brother. The helplessness and hopelessness that weighed on him was suffocating and Dean knew it was the same for Daniel.

Dean signaled and eased the Impala across the right hand lane before finding a safe place to pull off the street. Daniel looked over at him, his eyes filled with confusion. Dean found a spot and slowed the car until it came to a complete stop. He put the car in park and turned off the ignition. He turned to his brother and sighed at the pain he saw in his handsome face.

"Danny, you need to snap out of it. We need to be alert. Look…I know what you're feeling…I'm feeling it too, but I gotta tell you big brother, I feel like I'm out here looking for Wilcox all on my own," Dean said, his voice apologetic.

Daniel blinked at his brother before replying, his voice hoarse. "What's the use Dean? We're not gonna see him. This guy's not stupid. We're not gonna see him unless he wants us to."

"What…so you're giving up? You're giving up on Sammy? Ready to write him off as a lost cause?" Dean cried incredulously.

Daniel lunged across the seat, his hands fisted in Dean's jacket as he shoved him against the door. Tears of frustration spilled from his eyes as he stared at his younger brother. His body shook with exhaustion and anxiety as he attempted to tamp down his temper.

"Don't you say that Dean! Don't you dare say that…" Daniel spat, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll never give up on Sammy! Never…I'll never write him off. How could you even think that?"

Dean swallowed, the look in his older brother's eyes more than a little frightening. "I don't know Danny. It just seems you're giving up…I'm sorry, but that's what it looks like," he said softly, his eyes agonized.

Daniel let loose of Dean and moved back to his seat. He rested his elbows on his knees and let his head fall into his waiting hands. He brushed his fingers through his hair and clasped his hands behind his head. He sat this way for several moments, sensing Dean's nervous stare. He slowly lifted his head and turned apologetic eyes onto his younger brother. He collapsed back against the seat, letting out a loud breath before opening his mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry Dean. This is just so messed up. This driving around endlessly, hoping to catch sight of that fucking van! We're not going to see it. Trenton Wilcox isn't that stupid. I…I want to find Sammy so badly…but this isn't how we're gonna do it. I don't know how to find him. I don't know if we can! Dean…what if we…Fuck!" Daniel screamed as he shoved the car door open and shot out of the car.

Dean hurriedly pushed his door open and rushed after his retreating brother, catching up to him when Daniel collapsed onto a park bench and doubled over his knees, his hands firmly clasped behind his head. Dean rested his hand on Daniel's back as the older brother sobbed, his body trembling with pent up emotion. Dean blinked back his own tears, wanting nothing more than to break down and let all of the fear and frustration pour out of him, but right now his brother needed him to be strong so he sat on the bench, his hand rubbing comforting circles on Daniel's back. Daniel's sobs eventually subsided and he sat up slowly and cast an embarrassed glance at Dean. He smiled weakly then turned his eyes to the ground at his feet, his hands clasping and unclasping nervously.

Dean leaned forward and stared at his brother, his heart going out to the older man. "Daniel, I know we probably won't see Wilcox's van, but at least we're out doing something. It's better than sitting back at the house waiting for another package to arrive," he said softly, his hand resting on the nape of Daniel's neck.

Daniel turned toward him, his eyes filled with such sadness it took Dean's breath away. "I feel like I've failed him Dean. Seeing what Sammy's going through…I feel so helpless. It's my job to protect him…to protect both of you and look what's happened. You got shot and Sammy's…oh God! What if we never see him again? I can't take it Dean…I just can't imagine life without him, you know?" he whispered, despair flowing from him in waves.

Try as he might, Dean couldn't keep his tears at bay. They trailed down his cheeks as he watched his tough as nails big brother fall apart before him, the prospect of losing their beloved little brother too much for the older man to endure. Dean draped an arm over Daniel's back and bent down, craning his neck until he could see his brother's tortured face.

"We're not gonna lose him Danny. We're gonna get him back, and whatever damage that son of a bitch has done to him, we're gonna fix it. I know we're gonna get him back Danny…I know we are," Dean said with conviction, smiling when Daniel turned his red, puffy eyes his way.

"You really believe that don't you Dean? How can you be so sure?" Daniel asked.

"It's hard to explain Danny. I just feel like we're gonna get him back. He may be damaged, but as long as he's alive, we can deal with it. Trust me Danny…please, just trust me on this," Dean pled, his eyes wide.

Daniel stared at his brother, the absolute belief in the younger man's eyes renewing his faith in their ability to get Sam back, damaged maybe, but alive none the less. He smiled softly and straightened up on the bench.

"I trust you little brother…all the way," he said, clapping Dean on the back as he stood.

Dean stood with him and shrugged his hand away. "Hey, who you calling little? Sammy's little…not me!"

Daniel chuckled as he shook his head. "He's almost as tall as you Dean. I think he's gonna be taller than the both of us before you know it."

"Not in this lifetime Danny. No way…" Dean replied, shaking his head in denial as the two brothers made their way back to the waiting Impala.

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Sam watched Wilcox warily as the man unfastened the belt buckle from the belt that encircled his waist. Wilcox pulled the belt through his pant loops and held the leather belt up before him, his mouth held in a taunting sneer. He stepped toward Sam, the teenager flinching at the movement. Wilcox held the belt out before him, his hand wrapped around the large, metal buckle. He stared down hatefully at the swaying boy, his eyes black as night under his hooded lids.

"This is the only thing I have left of my father. It was his favorite belt. How fitting that it's going to deal out your final punishment," Wilcox hissed as he moved behind Sam, delighting in the terror he saw in the boy's eyes.

Sam followed Wilcox with his eyes, panicking when he could no longer see the man as he disappeared behind him. He cried out in surprise when he felt rough hands grab the waistband of his boxers and yank the thin shorts down his legs, leaving them bunched around his ankles. Any sense of security Sam felt abandoned him as he was left naked and vulnerable before his tormentor. He shivered when he heard Wilcox laugh behind him then felt a finger trail down his back, stopping just above his exposed backside.

"You do have a sweet ass Sammy boy. Lucky for you I'm not interested in anything but looking, huh?" Wilcox taunted, his breath ghosting over Sam's neck, making the boy cringe.

Wilcox moved back in front of Sam, his eyes trailing downward, an evil smile playing over his hateful lips. He licked those lips as he took a step forward, his body mere inches from his trembling captive.

"Seeing you like this almost makes me wish I liked boys as much as I like men. Maybe if I had more time, I'd try you out, but I've got better things to do," Wilcox said, his voice disgusting Sam to his core.

Wilcox moved to the side and smiled when Sam caught sight of the video recorder he had set up on the table, the red blinking light indicating it was presently recording . Sam gazed up at Wilcox, his eyes wide and pleading.

"P-please don't…don't make them watch this. Please don't let them see me this way…" Sam whispered, his voice weak and desperate.

"But Sammy, I could never deny your family's right to see your last living moments. It'll be something they can keep and treasure forever. Something they can pull out and watch on special occasions…your birthday even…" Wilcox said, chuckling at the wide eyed, shocked look of the swaying teen.

Wilcox grasped the belt buckle in his hand and wrapped the leather belt once around his hand. He moved behind Sam, preparing for the boy's final punishment. Sam squeezed his eyes shut, his heart pounding painfully in his chest, waiting for the pain to begin. He opened his eyes and stared at the camera, determined to remain strong for his family. He nearly cried out when the first lash from the belt sliced over his back, but he held it in, refusing to give Wilcox any satisfaction or show any weakness to his family.

"Scream for me Sammy! Scream for them," Wilcox commanded as he continued to dish out his horrific punishment.

Sam squeezed his lips tightly together, his eyes never straying from the camera as Wilcox hit him over and over with the belt strap. The leather cracked painfully over his back, buttocks and thighs. Wilcox moved in front of him and started on his chest and torso before moving lower, not even attempting to avoid Sam's sensitive nether region. Sam bit into his lower lip in his attempt to keep from screaming out and he sagged toward the floor when Wilcox abruptly halted his beating. The handcuffs dug painfully into Sam's wrists and he could feel the wet warmth as blood trailed down his arms from his torn flesh. His body burned from the welts that the belt had raised, but Sam smiled weakly as he sensed his tormentor's frustration at his lack of response.

Wilcox circled Sam, his fury at the boy's stubbornness causing him to tremble. He growled deep in his throat when Sam raised glazed but defiant eyes up to him, a weak smile curling his bleeding lips.

"Th-that…all ya…g-got?" Sam stammered breathlessly, silently delighting in seeing Wilcox's anger build.

"I will make you scream Sammy boy. You'll regret your insolence you little piece of shit!" Wilcox spat.

With that, Wilcox unwrapped the leather belt from his hand and let the buckle fall away, the strap sliding through his hand until a little less than half the length was left to wrap around his hand once more. The heavy buckle swayed to and fro as Wilcox moved his hand side to side in front of Sam's sweat covered face. Wilcox moved behind Sam again and the boy could not hold in the cry that escaped his lips when Wilcox lashed out and the two prongs on the back of the belt buckle broke through his abused back. The evil man yanked the prongs from Sam's flesh and Sam screamed as the flesh tore and blood spilled from the open wound.

Over and over Wilcox struck out, laughing as Sam screamed in agony each time the prongs were torn free from his bloodied back. Wilcox moved to Sam's front when his back, buttocks and thighs were covered with bleeding tears and he began his assault on Sam's chest and stomach. Wilcox continued his brutal assault well after Sam lost consciousness, finally stopping when his arm became to tired to wield the weapon any longer. He gazed down at the blood that dripped to the floor from Sam's body, smiling at the growing pool beneath Sam's feet.

Wilcox fisted his fingers in Sam's hair and lifted his head, staring victoriously into Sam's lax face. He pressed his lips cruelly over Sam's then pulled away, laughing as he let Sam's head drop limply back to his chest. Wilcox turned and sneered at the video recorder before retrieving the chair and dragging it up to Sam's sagging body. He climbed onto the chair and released first Sam's left arm, then his right. He held on firmly to Sam's right arm and lowered him slowly before suddenly letting go, delighting in the dull thud Sam's body made as it crashed bonelessly to the concrete floor.

Wilcox stepped down off the chair and reached for the video recorder. He aimed the camera at Sam's abused body, panning it over the unconscious teen before zooming in on his lax face.

"Get a good look…this is the last time you'll see your precious Sammy breathing. The next time you see him, he'll be cold and stiff," Wilcox hissed cruelly before switching the recorder off.

Wilcox set the recorder down and stood over Sam's broken body. The boy lay on his side, his arms splayed out before him. Wilcox bent over and ripped Sam's boxers away from his ankles then tossed them across the room. He contemplated moving Sam back to the bed but decided he had already provided enough comfort to the boy and left him lying on the cold floor. Wilcox went to step over Sam, but stopped short. He glared down once more then abruptly spat on the unconscious teen before stepping over his body and leaving the cool room, the metal door slamming noisily behind him.

Sam lay on the cold floor, the blood continuing to pool beneath him. A low moan escaped his lips before he fell silent once more, the cool air settling over his bloody, ruined body.

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**So, I'm hiding...won't tell you where because, well, it wouldn't be hiding. Please come back. You want to see how it turns out don't you? As I said in my greeting for this chapter: Don't count Sammy out. One more chapter coming tonight. I hope to see you all there.**

**Cindy.**


	35. Chapter 35

**So, are you guys ready for some stubborn, determined Sam Winchester with a little angsty John, Dean, Daniel and company thrown in for good measure? It's all here. I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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For nearly a day and a half Sam lie sprawled on the cold concrete floor, his body wracked with fever from the abuse it had suffered. Sam awoke several times, groaning as he attempted to move before finally falling back into the blackness that waited for him. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but not before a good deal of the precious fluid had been lost. Sam awoke again, a bit more lucid this time around. He pried open his heavy eyes and stared across the floor, content to just lie for just a moment before once again attempting to move. Sam had been left alone, at least he thought he had. Of course, he couldn't know what happened when he wasn't awake. He prayed that Wilcox had left him for dead, giving him at least a slim chance at escape.

Sam's hopes were dashed when he heard the door to his prison open and heavy footfalls sounded on the hard surface of the floor. He glanced up out of the corner of his eye to see Trenton Wilcox standing above him, his hands resting impatiently on his hips. He had a hate filled sneer on his face as he nudged Sam's numb body with the toe of his boot.

"You not dead yet? Cripes, you're one stubborn little prick," Wilcox quipped cruelly. "Why don't you just give up kid? Save yourself a lot of pain."

Sam swallowed, his throat burning painfully. "N-never…give up. Never g-give in…" he rasped, his whole body exploding in agony as he launched into a violent coughing fit.

Sam's lungs burned as he continued to cough, his hands pushing ineffectually against the floor in an attempt to move his body into a position that would allow for easier breathing. Rough hands suddenly grabbed his right arm and yanked him up. Sam cried out as he was ripped from the floor, his dried blood acting as a glue that adhered him to the cold concrete. Wilcox dragged the compliant boy's body to the bed then pulled him up and roughly shoved him onto the filthy mattress. Sam's head lolled to the side and he watched as Wilcox left the room. He fell into a fitful slumber, thankful when the darkness claimed him once again.

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**One Day Prior-Winchester Home**

John paced the floor impatiently, glancing at the front door several times before lowering his face to the floor, his eyes on his feet as they carried him from one end of the room to the other. Bobby, Caleb and Joshua watched him pace but left him alone. He had been this way ever since he had received a call that a package was waiting in locker number 13 at the bus depot near their home. Wilcox had instructed him to send Dean and Daniel to retrieve the package and that if he even suspected that anyone other than the brothers arrived at the depot, he would be sending John his baby's severed head, neatly gift wrapped.

John had done as instructed, knowing that the deranged man would carry out his threat in a heartbeat. The sound of the Impala pulling into the driveway brought all four men to attention and they waited for Dean and Daniel to step into the room. Daniel walked through the door first, a small paper wrapped package in his hand. Dean followed close behind and glanced at the men, dread in his eyes. Daniel handed the package to John who immediately ripped the paper away. He sagged onto the couch, his weary eyes resting on the object in his hands.

John dropped the item onto the coffee table as his sons and friends gathered around him. "Another video," he murmured softly.

Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, John picked up the tape again and eyed the writing. It simply said 'Sammy-Session Four.'

"What happened to session three?" Dean wondered aloud, glancing at the other men nervously.

John pushed the tape into the VCR and turned on the TV. He pushed play and settled back on the couch, his stomach knotting in fear at what he would see this time. Nothing could have prepared him or the other men for the horror they were soon to be assaulted with.

They watched in horrified silence as an obviously weak and ill Sam was pulled to the chair, his gait uneven as he limped along beside his captor, the man's arm wrapped tightly around his waist. They watched with confusion as Wilcox climbed onto the chair and hissed with anger when the man yanked Sam's arm up and secured his wrist with a handcuff. Sam's other arm was secured and the boy hung from his restraints, his body swaying as he tried to keep as much pressure off his shoulders as possible. The men gaped as Wilcox slowly removed his belt, fear paralyzing them as they could only guess the man's intentions. They listened to his hateful words and Daniel cried out when the man circled around Sam before yanking his boxers down to his ankles, leaving the terrified teen naked and shaking.

The men shook with unadulterated rage when Wilcox moved his eyes over Sam's naked body, his loathsome comments leaving them itching to commit the most painful, murderous acts possible to the man who had dared to hurt their boy. Their hearts broke when they saw realization dawn in Sam's glazed eyes as he discovered he was being filmed. His pleas to spare his family the horror of watching his torture tore the men apart and they glared hatefully at Wilcox's image as he taunted Sam cruelly.

The men sucked in their breaths when Wilcox circled behind Sam again, the belt wrapped around his hand. They jumped in unison when the first lash hit Sam, all expecting to hear Sam's pain filled scream but staring in awe as the determined boy bravely held in the scream. Sam couldn't hide the pain in his eyes though, and the men cried for the brave young man as time after time the belt cracked over his sensitive skin. Wilcox moved in front of the boy and continued to beat him, Sam holding in his cries even as the belt tore over his groin.

The men sagged with relief when Wilcox finally stopped the beating, but their relief was short lived as they watched in horror as Wilcox shuffled the belt, the heavy buckle now dangling dangerously from the strap. Wilcox moved behind Sam once again and Sam couldn't hold in his scream as the belt buckle made contact with his back. The sound of the buckle being ripped from Sam's skin would haunt the men all the rest of their days and they had to endure that sound over and over as Wilcox continued his sadistic torture. Sam's screams would never leave the men and they were actually relieved when the boy lost consciousness, knowing that at least he felt nothing more as Wilcox continued his attack long after the darkness claimed the youngest Winchester.

The men watched as Wilcox finally ended his assault and dropped the bloodied belt to his side. They each came up with different ways of torture when they watched Wilcox release Sam from the handcuffs and then allowed him to drop limply to the floor, out of their sight. They got another look at the broken boy when Wilcox lifted the camera and panned it over Sam's naked, bleeding body. Wilcox zoomed in on Sam's lax face and the men lost any last threads of humanity towards his torturer when they heard Sam's low, pain filled moans and his struggles for each breath. Wilcox's hateful words were the last thing they heard before the image gave way to snow and static.

"Oh God…Sammy…nonononono…" Daniel cried softly, his cheeks wet with tears. His body gave way to heartwrenching sobs as he collapsed against the back of the couch, his hands covering his flushed face.

John slipped an arm behind his oldest son's back and pulled him to his side, his head leaning over to rest on Daniel's. Dean leaned in toward his family, his face blank with shock. He dropped his head to John's shoulder, his forehead nestled in the crook of John's neck. John brought his other arm around Dean and the three Winchester men sat huddled together, connected in their sorrow.

Caleb turned and rushed to the door, flinging it open and pushing through the screen door. Bobby and Joshua cast glances at John and his boys then moved to follow their younger comrade out onto the porch. They gazed on as Caleb paced back and forth, his hands clasped at the back of his head. His eyes were bright as he glanced at his friends.

"Caleb…" Joshua started but was halted when Caleb held his hand up in front of him.

Caleb took a look through the open door then ran down the porch steps. He hurtled himself into his SUV, started the engine and sped off down the street, murder in his eyes. Bobby and Joshua watched after him then turned to look at the house. They each took a seat on the porch, neither saying a word as the tape played over and over in their tortured minds. They knew the possibility of finding Sam alive now was nearly impossible and the idea of never seeing the bright, inquisitive and full of life boy again weighed heavily on their grief stricken hearts.

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Sam awoke to pain unlike he'd ever known. Every inch of his body hurt and he lay still on the bed, not wanting to aggravate his injuries. His parched throat and rumbling, sick stomach however reminded him that it'd been days since he last drank or ate anything. If he had any hope of escape he needed food and water. He swallowed painfully at the thought of drinking the filthy water and didn't even want to think about the horrible smelling slop that was his only option for nourishment.

Sam grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled his body far enough over so he could swing his legs over. He groaned and hissed as the movement jarred his damaged body but he gritted his teeth, determined to give his body what it needed to gain at least some strength. Unable to stand, Sam dropped to his knees, crying out as white hot spears of pain sliced up into his stomach. He dropped to all fours and slowly, painfully he crawled to the cupboard where he had watched Wilcox retrieve the canned dog food a few days prior. He pulled the cupboard door open, wrinkling his nose when he saw the cans there. He reached for a can and pulled it from the cupboard then pulled open the drawer above and located a can opener and spoon.

Sam struggled to open the can, his strength almost nil at this point. When the can was finally opened, he closed his eyes and willed the nausea in his stomach away. He dug a small spoonful of the brown slop from the can and without thinking about it, he shoved it into his mouth. Sam choked down the food as quickly as his raw throat allowed and he had emptied the can in fifteen minutes, only needing to stop and gag a few times. He thought about attempting another can but didn't think his stomach could handle it. He rolled back onto his hands and knees and crawled to the small bathroom. Once there he reached up to the edge of the sink and pulled himself up. He grabbed the glass and turned the faucet on, waiting for the brown water to clear some. Once he felt the water was as clear as it was going to get, Sam filled the glass and began to take small sips, gagging at the odor and taste.

Sam forced himself to finish the water then put the glass back on the edge of the sink. He collapsed back to the floor, leaning against the wall, the exhaustion dragging him down as he slouched on the floor. He closed his eyes and rested his head back against the cold tiled wall. Sam jerked his eyes open again, not sure of what woke him and not even aware that he had actually fallen asleep. He became aware of pressure in his bladder and slowly and painfully crawled to the toilet, pulling himself up so he could sit, knowing his legs would not hold him yet. He sat for several minutes after his bladder was relieved, too tired to move.

A sudden fear of being caught off the bed slammed into Sam and he scooted off the toilet and landed with a grunt on his knees. He began to crawl toward the bed, the going slow as exhaustion began to pull at him again. After what seemed like ages, Sam reached the small bed and sat on the floor, his shoulder leant against the bedframe. When he caught his breath, Sam reached up and grabbed ahold of the bedpost and pulled himself up and onto the mattress. He laid down and turned on his side so he was facing the wall. He'd managed to get some nourishment and water and now he needed sleep. He was determined that if he died, it wouldn't be in the hell hole he had been imprisoned in for the past several days, and it wouldn't be in the presence of Trenton Wilcox. Sam shivered as the sweat that drenched his body began to cool and he wrapped his arms around himself as tightly as his weak muscles allowed. He closed his eyes, his thoughts turning to his family and what they were going through. It hurt him to know that they were probably worried sick about him. _'Just another one of_ _my failures,'_ the exhausted and hurting teenager thought as he slipped away into blissful unconsciousness.

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**That kid. He should, by all rights, be dead right now. If he doesn't realize how strong he is then he really needs some help. I hope this somewhat makes up for the last chapter, although I know he isn't free yet, I assure you, he will be. Please let me know what you think.**

**Cindy.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Okay, it's update time. First, my sister, son and I made it safely to my dad's. Now, I am ready to post the next chapter for you. The good news is, I will probably be able to post a second chapter but it won't be until late tonight as we are taking Dad out to dinner then staying at his place to visit. We probably won't get back to the hotel until 9 or 10 Mountain time. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Oh, just a reminder and to all of the readers who haven't read previous stories, I do not kill Winchesters no matter what it looks like. **

**Cindy.**

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**Warehouse Basement-8:00 P.M.**

Sam awoke, his sleepy eyes casting slowly about the dim room. He saw no sign of Wilcox and thought with a tiny shred of hope that he had in fact been left for dead this time. Sam gingerly sat up, relieved when the room remained still. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and eased himself up onto his feet. He hissed as his feet reminded him with burning intensity of their recent injuries, a shiver running up his spine as he remembered the torture that had left him with those injuries. Sam released his hold on the bedpost and stood for a moment, waiting to see if his legs would hold him up. Once he was sure he wouldn't fall he took a tentative step toward the cupboard. When he still remained on his feet, Sam started to slowly limp the rest of the way across the room, his hands reaching out to grasp the countertop as his knees felt as though they may buckle.

Sam steadied himself then reached down to open the cupboard door. He pulled a can of the dog food out then picked the can opener up and opened the can. Looking down, he wrinkled his nose at the dirty spoon he had used earlier and opened the drawer only to find it empty. He dug his fingers into the can and pulled out a glob of the unappetizing slop and then stuck his fingers into his mouth. He continued until the can was empty, his stomach no longer grumbling painfully. Sam stepped away from the counter and made his way carefully to the bathroom where he filled the glass with the dirty, brown water and drank the fluid down, barely holding in a gag at the putrid taste. Sam bypassed the toilet as he limped from the bathroom.

Sam looked down, his cheeks flushing as he was reminded of his nakedness. He stopped and glanced around the room, his spirits lifting when he spied his discarded boxers near the metal door that stood between him and freedom. He stepped gingerly across the room, bending down to retrieve the bloodied undergarment. Sam swayed upon standing as a wave of dizziness hit him and he placed a hand against the wall to steady himself. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths until the vertigo passed then he stepped toward the chair he had been bound to and sat down tiredly. He bent over and eased his boxers up his legs then stood and pulled them up the rest of the way.

Sam felt a fraction of his dignity return as he moved slowly back to the door of his prison. He pressed his ear against the door and when he heard nothing he reached down and tried the knob, surprised when it moved freely. Sam pulled the door open carefully and peeked out into the room beyond. He stepped from the room he'd been held in and into what looked like Wilcox's living quarters. He saw another door across the room and he started for it, stumbling as his legs gave way beneath him. He flung his hands out and grabbed the chair that sat in the middle of the room, holding on until he felt he could stand without falling.

Sam stepped tentatively toward the door again, crying out when he felt fingers fist in his hair and pull him back off his feet. He fell against something solid and shuddered when Trenton Wilcox's deep voice sounded in his ear.

"Where ya going Sammy? I thought we were having so much fun together," Wilcox asked as he pulled Sam tight against his chest.

"Sorry, but I'm n-not having fun," Sam replied, his spirits deflating as he realized escape would be impossible now.

"Well, I am and that's what's important. Now, I have a question for you," Wilcox said as he dragged Sam to the kitchenette. "Why are you still alive? I left you for two days…you should be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Sam said sarcastically, his eyes falling to the knives that lay on the counter.

"I gotta hand it to you Sammy…you're one tough little son of a bitch," Wilcox said, his fingers twisting viciously in Sam's hair.

Sam grunted as Wilcox spun him around, his hip hitting the countertop painfully. He looked up, swallowing deeply at the hatred he saw burning in Wilcox's eyes. Wilcox shoved Sam against the counter, letting go of his hair only to wrap both hands around Sam's neck. Sam's eyes widened as Wilcox's hands tightened around his throat and he wrapped his hands around the larger man's wrists. Sam kicked out ineffectually as his vision began to gray. Just when he thought he would pass out, Wilcox loosened his grip and Sam sucked in lungfuls of air. His only thought was that this was it. He was going to die by Trenton Wilcox's hand and he was never going to see his family again.

"I think after I'm done with you, I may pay your family a visit," the man hissed into Sam's ear, smiling as Sam tensed. "Maybe start on one of your brothers before moving onto your dear old dad."

"I told y-you to l-leave my f-family…out of this," Sam rasped, his throat raw from abuse.

"I was gonna Sammy, until you tried to escape. Now…well, I'm pissed. I gave you a soft bed to sleep in, food…water…and this is how you repay me? Your punishment will be knowing that after you die, your family will be next," Wilcox snarled.

"No…I won't let you hurt them," Sam snapped, but cried out when Wilcox once again began to squeeze his throat.

Sam struggled against the attack, frantic to stop the man from going after his family. As Sam's struggles weakened, his hands fell away, his right arm hitting and upending a small bowl that sat on the counter. A fine powder spilled from the bowl, dusting over Sam's skin and creating a strange tingling sensation. Sam's fingers fell over something solid and he pulled the object up, realizing immediately what it was. With strength born from adrenaline and fear for his family, Sam thrust his hand upward, burying the knife he had acquired deep into Trenton Wilcox's neck.

Wilcox jerked back in surprise, his hands releasing Sam as the boy twisted the knife. Sam gasped for air and cried out when Wilcox grabbed the hand that drove the knife into him. Wilcox fell to the floor, a shocked and pain filled look on his face. His mouth opened to speak but all he could manage was a wet gurgle as blood bubbled over his lips. Sam dropped to his hands and knees, his vision growing fuzzy as the adrenaline that surged through him wore off. He glanced at Wilcox, relief washing over him as he stared into the blank, lifeless eyes of his tormentor.

Sam collapsed to the floor as his strength gave way to exhaustion and oxygen deprivation. He attempted to push himself up with shaky arms, but fell back down again. Sam's eyes rested on Wilcox and a small smile graced his lips as his eyes closed and the darkness engulfed him.

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**Crash Site-2:00 A.M**

John, his boys and his fellow hunters reached the top of the embankment and stepped onto the roadside, frustration evident in their tense stances. Their late night search of the crash site had yielded no new clues and the desperation the men had been feeling earlier was increasing steadily as the night wore on. They could sense they were running out of time and they were grasping at any straw that presented itself. John approached the Impala and rested his palms on the cold metal of the hood. He dropped his head down in defeat, his hunched shoulders trembling with his despair. Dean stepped up beside him, his eyes wide and questioning.

"Now what Dad? What do we do now?" he queried, his voice thick with emotion.

Daniel pulled up beside his brother and both young men stared at their father in anticipation. John sighed and lifted his head, looking out across the road before turning to look at his sons. Bobby, Caleb and Joshua stood just behind the younger men, their eyes reflecting the same defeat as John's. They had exhausted all their leads, searched everywhere possible, called in every favor owed to them but still they had come up empty handed. They all shared the same heartbreaking thought. If Sam wasn't already dead, he would be soon. What the kid had been made to endure, the beatings and torture and whatever else that the hunters hadn't been shown would surely bring about his death. John gazed at his sons, his eyes filled with such sadness it took the young men's breath away.

"We've done everything Dean. There's nothing left we can do. I'm sorry…I…I think we've lost him," John whispered, his gruff voice filled with grief.

"Wh-what? You can't be serious Dad! We're not giving up on Sammy!" Dean cried, his body shaking with anger.

John straightened and faced his boys. He dreaded to reveal what he was about to say, but knew it needed to be said. His sons stared at him, the looks on their faces filling John with renewed sorrow.

"Boys…I…I think Sammy is probably…I think he may already be…dead…" John said softly, never expecting the fist that plowed into his face.

Daniel lunged forward, his arm wrapping around Dean's chest. He pulled Dean back, screaming for his brother to stop his attack on their father.

"Get the hell off of me Daniel! Let me the fuck go!" Dean screamed as he struggled to free himself from his brother's grip.

"No Dean…just stop! This isn't helping anything!" Daniel cried, pulling back harder on his brother, cringing when Dean cried out in pain as his injured arm was jostled.

Dean suddenly stopped struggling and collapsed back against his brother, his chest heaving at the previous exertion. He stared ahead as John straightened up and turned his way, his hand holding his bleeding nose.

"Why Dad? Why have you given up? We can't give up on Sammy. He needs us…we can't abandon him," Dean whispered.

"You all are such a pathetic bunch of losers. How you've managed to survive in your chosen profession is beyond me."

The hunters jerked around to see a dark clad figure emerge from the shadows, the only feature visible were his glowing yellow eyes. Bobby, Caleb and Joshua moved to stand in front of the Winchesters, their weapons drawn.

"What the hell are you doing here? What do you want?" John hissed as he pushed between his friends to face his hated enemy.

"You know what I want John. I want Samuel. Just…not yet. Now…I'm here because you so called hunters couldn't find your asses if your lives depended on it," the yellow eyed man said coolly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daniel queried as he stepped up next to John, Dean right beside him.

The yellow eyed man waved his hand and the other three hunters were immediately relieved of their weapons, their eyes narrowing in anger at the sudden loss of security.

"Samuel isn't dead. At least not the last time I checked on him. I want to keep it that way if you don't mind. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed the show so far, but that's just because I expected you to swoop in and rescue him. I have yet to be impressed," the man replied.

"You know where he is? Why didn't you save him?" Daniel asked, his body shaking with fury.

"Not really my thing to rescue humans," the man explained.

"Where is he? Tell us…" Dean commanded.

"You need to find him fast. He doesn't have much time. Trenton Wilcox is tiring of his game. He means for Sam to die…soon."

"Tell us where he is and we'll go find him. Quit fucking around with us!" Dean spat.

The man chuckled then turned his head, his yellow eyes staring off down the road. He raised his arm and pointed in the same direction.

"About thirty miles down this road you'll see a dirt road. McLeod Drive. Take that road and about five miles in you'll come to an abandoned warehouse. It's not very big. Samuel is being held in the basement. You need to hurry, I sense Samuel's time has nearly run out…" the man explained before walking away, disappearing into the shadows.

The men wasted no time in jumping into their vehicles and tearing off down the road. Twenty minutes later they were racing down McLeod Drive, their hearts pounding furiously. A few minutes later the warehouse came into view and the vehicles screeched to a halt near the rundown building. The Winchesters were out of the Impala and running toward the door, not needing to look to know that their friends were right behind them. They approached the door and burst through, their weapons drawn. They gazed around the trash strewn warehouse in their search for a door that would lead them to the basement. Daniel took off when he spied the door, the other men close behind.

Daniel reached the door and stopped, holding his finger to his lips to quiet his comrades. He carefully pulled the door open and listened for any sounds from below. The men started down the steps and Daniel pushed open the door at the bottom. The door opened into a living space complete with a small kitchenette.

"Sammy!?" Dean called as he rushed into the room, his eyes flitting around the small area.

"Dad…over here," Daniel called from the kitchen area.

The men hurried to Daniel's side and stared down at the floor in shock. At their feet was a huge pool of drying blood, a booted footprint right in the middle. Bloodied handprints smeared the countertop and the men glanced at each other, fear and confusion in their eyes.

"What the hell?" Bobby's gruff voice sounded, bringing the other men's attention to where he stood.

The men stepped up to Bobby, their eyes wide as they stared up at the wall that was covered with photos of Sam.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cried, his eyes moving over the images of his baby brother.

John stepped away from the group and looked through a metal door that stood open to the right of the men. He looked back at them, his eyes filled with anguish.

"What Dad? What is it? You're scaring me here…" Daniel said, his heart thumping wildly.

John lowered his eyes and stepped through the door, disappearing into the room beyond. The other hunters followed and soon found themselves in the room from the videos. The room that their youngest family member had been held and tortured in. Daniel moved to the bed, his eyes filled with tears as his fingers ghosted over the bloodstains on the dirty mattress. He looked over his shoulder when he heard a sharp intake of air. Dean and John stood looking up at the handcuffs that hung from the ceiling. Their gaze fell to the floor, their eyes glued to the dried blood pooled on the floor beneath the handcuffs.

"Where's Sammy Dad? Yellow eyes said he was still alive…so, where is he?" Dean queried, on the verge of panic.

"I don't know Dean. I just…I don't know," John answered softly.

"What the hell is this?" Joshua asked, picking up an object from beneath the bed.

"Here, give me that," Bobby said, taking the object from Joshua.

Bobby examined the object then looked up at the men who stared at him with wide eyes.

"What is it Bobby?" Caleb queried.

"Uh…it's an old cattle prod. Quite inhumane," Bobby answered, his heart sinking at the implications.

"You don't think…" Dean started, his eyes glued to the tubular object.

"I don't know Dean. Just…don't think about it," John said.

"We need to look for Sam. We need to split up. Sam could be in the building somewhere, hurt. He needs us to find him," Daniel said urgently.

"Danny's right. We need to find Sam. Split into groups of two. Leave no stone unturned," John commanded.

The men paired up and left the room, intent on finding the still missing teenager.

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Jason Renaldi loved this time of the day. The crispness of the pre-dawn air, although it was a little cooler than Jason preferred. The color of the lightening sky and the quiet hush that settled in the trees. He pulled his running shoes over his socks and tied the laces tightly. He strolled from his bedroom, his golden retriever right on his heels. He pulled his windbreaker on over his sweatshirt and retrieved a long blue leash from the peg next to the front door.

"Come here Roscoe, time for our run boy," Jason called, smiling when the dog bounded from the kitchen where it had taken a detour to grab a quick bite of kibble.

Jason attached the leash to Roscoe's collar then opened the front door, the boisterous dog pulling him out the door and down the few steps to the front yard. Jason chuckled at the large dog as he barked happily, turning to make sure his master was still behind him. Jason began an easy trot to warm up before he picked up speed to a comfortable pace. The man and his dog ran down the side of the deserted road, thrilled to be the only ones out at this early hour.

The pair had been running for nearly fifteen minutes when Roscoe raised his head, his nose snuffling the air as he picked up an unfamiliar scent. He whined deep in his throat and picked up speed, pulling on his leash, alerting his master to possible trouble.

"Hey boy…what's up?" Jason called, following quickly behind his dog, the leash pulling roughly at his hand.

Roscoe whined louder as they came around a curve in the road and Jason looked down the road, sucking in a breath when he saw what looked like a body laying on the side of the road some fifty feet ahead. The pair approached the nearly naked body, Jason covering his mouth when he saw a boy of no more than sixteen or seventeen lying partially on his side, his back leant up against a small boulder. Roscoe sniffed an outstretched hand, whining as he licked at the lax fingers. Jason dropped to his knees and reached with shaky fingers to feel the pulse point on the boy's neck.

"Ah shit," he whispered when he felt nothing beneath his fingertips.

Roscoe continued to lick at the boy's hand, his large brown eyes staring pleadingly at his master as Jason took out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"Uh…yeah. I found a body out on Jordan Road about five miles off the main road…a kid about sixteen or so…long brown hair, about 5 foot 10…no, I think he's dead…Yeah, I'll wait for the emergency crews," Jason said into the phone.

Jason flipped his phone shut and sat down on the road, his eyes resting sadly on the limp boy. He gazed at the messy chocolate hair then moved over the bloodied, bruised body, wondering with growing anger at what had happened to the kid and what kind of monster would do such horrible things. Even though he believed the boy to be dead, he still removed his jacket and laid it over his shoulders and chest, needing for some reason to offer the kid some protection and dignity. Twenty minutes later Jason heard sirens and soon an ambulance and paramedics vehicle pulled up on the opposite side of the road. A black SUV pulled up behind the paramedics, the letters on the side indicating it was from the coroner's office.

Two paramedics emerged from their vehicle and rushed across the road, dropping down next to the cold, pale boy. After a quick examination, the paramedics sat back, looking at each other as they shook their heads sadly.

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**Well, that's it until late tonight. I hope you enjoyed. **

**Cindy.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey all! Here is the next chapter for you all. My dinner and visit with my dad was really fun and now I'm back at the hotel. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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**Warehouse-5:45 AM**

"We've looked everywhere Dad. We covered the warehouse top to bottom, the trees all around. We looked in any and every place he could be hiding. Sam's not here, and for that matter, neither is Wilcox," Daniel stated wearily.

John looked at his son, feeling every ounce of despair that he saw in Daniel's eyes. Dean stood beside Daniel, his head bowed, eyes on the ground and shoulders sagged in defeat. Dean's low voice brought John's attention to his middle son.

"All of that blood…Do you think it was Sammy's?" the young man asked, his breath hitching as if he were on the verge of tears.

" I don't know Dean. I do know that boot print didn't belong to Sammy, but what that means, I have no idea," John answered, wishing he could take his boy's grief onto himself so they wouldn't look so absolutely miserable.

John turned his attention away from his sons when he saw movement to his right. Bobby, Caleb and Joshua emerged from the trees behind where their vehicles were parked. They hurried to the Winchesters, their eyes expectant as they came alongside the three exhausted men.

"Anything Johnny?" Bobby drawled tiredly.

"No, nothing. I take it you all had the same luck?" John answered.

"Yeah…since I split with you and met up with these two, we searched deep into the overgrowth to the west of the warehouse. There's nothing out there," Bobby replied dejectedly.

"Same here…we searched the east end and behind the warehouse. Maybe when the sun comes up we'll be able to see more," John said.

"We've been searching for hours, if there was something to find we would have found it by now," Dean said softly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Dean, you're the one who told me not to give up. We're going to keep looking until we have a reason not to," John said.

"You mean until either we or the police find Sam's body…" Dean whispered, barely holding in a sob.

"I'm sorry kiddo, but yeah. It could come to that. I pray it doesn't but…"

John was cut off by the ringing of Caleb's cell phone and the men watched as Caleb took the call, walking a short distance away, his back turned. Caleb talked for a few minutes while the other men waited in uncomfortable silence, their thoughts returning to Sam. They were brought out of their musings when Caleb returned to the group, his features guarded.

"Who was that Caleb?" Joshua asked, not liking the look in Caleb's eyes.

"Uh…a buddy of mine. He's been keeping track of the police investigation for me," Caleb answered, holding up his hand to silence more questions. "Don't ask how, just…he has his ways. Anyway, a 911 call came in about an hour ago. A kid matching Sam's description was found…"

"What!? Where?" Daniel cried as he reached out and grasped Caleb's arm.

"Uh…Jordan Road. It's not far from here according to Mac. You guys can follow me…" Caleb answered.

"Is he okay Caleb? Did your friend say if Sammy was okay?" Dean queried, his eyes wide with hope.

"He didn't really say Dean. Just said that some guy and his dog were out for an early morning run and found a kid on the side of the road," Caleb replied, keeping the more distressing information his friend had given him to himself.

"Well, let's hightail it then! Caleb, lead the way…" John commanded, already sprinting for the Impala.

The other men complied and soon the two hunter filled vehicles were speeding back toward the main road, any worries of speed and safety discarded from the two drivers minds.

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**Jordan Road-6:00 AM**

A silver newer model Chevy eased around the police cruiser that blocked half of Jordan Road and pulled in behind an older Oldsmobile. Once the car came to a halt and the engine was cut, the drivers door opened and a woman in her mid fifties exited the front seat, her face set in neutral, eyes moving to where several people stood watching over whom she had been summoned to examine. Amongst the congregated crowd was a uniformed police officer, two EMT's, a man in a crumpled suit and the coroner's assistant, Rachel Cummins. Rachel smiled grimly when she noticed the woman walking her way.

"Evelyn, hello," the assistant greeted.

"Miss Cummins, in the office when we are alone you can refer to me as Evelyn, but out in the field you refer to me as Dr. Spencer," the woman replied tersely.

Properly chagrinned, Rachel turned her reddened face away and mumbled her apology. Dr. Spencer nodded in acknowledgement then looked down at the boy she had been pulled from bed to see. She shook her head sadly, never used to seeing a child abused and thrown away as it appeared this one had been. She pulled latex gloves from her pocket and slipped them onto her small hands, her eyes moving to the man who stood nearby dressed in the crumpled suit.

"And who are you?" Dr. Spencer queried.

"Detective Casey," the man said, extending his hand, only to draw it back when the coroner didn't offer hers.

"Sorry, I'd shake your hand but I just put my gloves on," Dr. Spencer explained.

Detective Casey nodded and stepped back, watching as the woman dropped down next to the still boy and gently brushed his hair away from his closed eyes. She sat crouched next to the boy for several moments, staring at his lax face with saddened eyes.

"Miss Cummins, give me the rundown please," she said finally, dropping to both knees.

"Uh…we have a male, aged seventeen according to Detective Casey, height approximately 70 inches, weight approximately 170 pounds. Ligature wounds on both wrists and ankles. Strangulation bruises on his neck, two inch section of scalp missing, a deep bite mark on the left pectoral region, what appear to be electrical burns on the bottoms of both feet and his left side, puncture wounds covering his entire back, chest and abdomen, and marks that indicate he was beaten with some sort of strap over his back, torso, groin and thighs," the assistant replied.

Dr. Spencer looked up at Detective Casey questioningly. "You know the victim?" she asked.

"Yes. He's central to a case I'm working on," the detective answered.

The doctor nodded and turned back to her assistant. "All vitals have been checked? We're sure this child is dead?" she queried.

Rachel nodded as she replied. "No pulse or breath sounds, body is cold and there is no response to painful stimuli."

"Okay then, let's get started so we can get him out of here. I think the poor kid's been on this cold ground long enough," Dr. Spencer said, nodding as Rachel began to take pictures.

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Caleb saw the flashing lights of the police cruiser and slowed to a stop on the side of the road. He, Joshua and Bobby climbed from the SUV and waited as John and the boys exited the Impala, which had pulled up right behind them. The six men met and began to walk toward a crowd of people they saw about fifty feet ahead. Once they skirted the police cruiser they were stopped by the officer who stood guard over the crime scene.

"Uh…sorry, this is a restricted crime scene. What exactly is your interest?" the officer queried.

"Our interest is that may be my son. Now, let us through," John spat, his eyes glued to the portion of the body that was visible.

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't let you in there. You'll need to wait here. I'll get the detective on the scene for you to speak with," the officer replied apologetically.

"That may be my brother! You can't keep us from him!" Dean cried as he tried to push past the police officer, growling when strong hands held him back.

"Dean! We can't go barging in there when we don't even know if it's Sammy or not!" Joshua said, his hand wrapped tightly around Dean's good arm.

"Let me go Joshua!" Dean hissed, trying to break the larger man's hold.

"John, boys…what are you doing here?" a familiar voice queried.

John turned from the altercation and his heart sunk when he saw Detective Casey standing a few feet away.

"We heard on the police scanner that a boy matching Sam's description had been found. What are you doing here?" John answered, sensing his sons and fellow hunters move around him.

Detective Casey dismissed the officer then turned to John. "Got a call and headed right here when I heard the description," the detective replied.

"Is that a coroner's vehicle? Does that mean th-that he's…dead?" Daniel asked fearfully.

"Daniel…I…" the detective started.

"Just tell us…is that Sammy? Is he dead detective?" John said, his stomach in knots.

Detective Casey glanced at each man who stood before him before turning his eyes back to John. His heart pounded in his chest and his throat felt suddenly dry. This was not the outcome he had wanted to inform this family of and he dreaded what he had to tell them.

"John, boys…I'm so sorry…" he started, not needing to say anymore as the men before him crumbled.

Daniel cried out and dropped to his knees, his hands covering his mouth, his widened eyes wet with tears. "Oh God, nonononono…" he chanted over and over, rocking back and forth, not noticing Caleb beside him or his friend's comforting touch or words.

Dean turned and slowly walked toward the Impala, his hands clasped behind his head, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

"Oh Sammy. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you. We didn't protect you…" he whispered, his heart filled with anguish and self loathing.

Joshua trailed after Dean, his own grief pushed aside as he sought to comfort his young friend. One look from Dean though halted his progress and he stood a few feet away, ready if the young man should need him. Dean's quiet sobs broke the man's heart and he wondered how he and his family would ever recover.

John stood like a statue, his eyes staring blankly ahead as the weight of his grief bore down upon him. His baby, the light of his dark life was gone. He had failed to protect his youngest son and now his sweet boy was dead. John barely acknowledged Bobby's presence when the man stepped up to him. He cast a broken, empty glance to his friend, his ears not hearing what the man was saying. He knew he should go to his boys, but he couldn't make his limbs move. He didn't hear as a female voice called from a short distance away and he didn't see Detective Casey give him a worried look before rushing away. The only thing that John could see was Sam as a baby, happily cooing and laughing as his big brothers played with him. Tears flowed over John's eyelids as he realized he'd never hear that beautiful laugh again. Suddenly his knees gave way beneath him and he dropped to the ground, barely aware of the strong hands that held him.

"I'm so sorry Johnny. I'm so sorry."

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Evelyn Spencer sat back as she watched her assistant prepare to take a liver temp reading on the boy who lay before her. She would never understand how a person could be so cruel as to abuse someone as badly as this young man had been abused. She watched as Rachel began to press the liver temp reader into the boy's abdomen, the tip just breaking the skin when Dr. Spencer cried out for her to stop.

"Rachel! Stop…stop right now!"

Rachel jumped back, the temp reader dropping from her hands. She stared with startled eyes at her superior when the woman pulled a pen light from her pocket, pried the boys eyelid open and shone the light into his eye.

"Dr. Spencer…what are you doing?" the young woman asked with confusion.

Dr. Spencer looked up, a look of shock on her face. "This boy isn't dead Rachel. How the hell did everyone miss the fact that the dead boy wasn't really dead!?"

"Wh-what do you mean? Dr. Spencer, he's dead…" Rachel sputtered.

"Since when do dead bodies bleed Miss Cummins? And cry?" Dr. Spencer queried.

Rachel looked down and gasped as sure enough a small, slow trickle of blood trailed from the puncture from the temp reader. She looked at the boy's face and saw a single tear trail down his cheek from the corner of his closed eye.

Rachel ran toward the ambulance and found the EMT's sitting in the back waiting to transport what they thought was a dead body.

"We need you now! The kid isn't dead!" Rachel cried, startling the two men.

"What? But he…" the first EMT started.

"Is not dead! We need you…Now!!!" Rachel shot before rushing away, expecting the men to follow.

Rachel hurried back to Dr. Spencer to find the older woman had moved Sam so he was flat on the ground. The doctor looked up as the EMT's rushed over. She glanced at Rachel and instructed her to call for Detective Casey. Rachel rushed away, calling the detective's name. Dr. Spencer turned back to her victim and the EMT's who were examining the boy. They looked at her nervously as she moved closer to Sam, who had went from being her dead body to her patient.

"What the hell are you looking at me for? This kid needs oxygen! His throat is probably swollen so he's going to need to be intubated before it closes completely. He barely has any blood pumping through him…Look, you guys get him intubated and I'll do CPR to try and get blood moving through his veins. Get to it…now!"

The EMT's jumped to their feet and rushed to the ambulance while Dr. Spencer began chest compressions. Detective Casey rushed up and stared down at he doctor in confusion.

"Dr. Spencer…what…"

"He's alive. Barely, but he is alive. I need blankets. They should have some in the ambulance. Hurry detective, we need to warm this kid up."

Detective Casey hurried to the ambulance, passing the EMT's as they rushed back to Sam and Dr. Spencer. He found a pile of blankets and quickly grabbed them then hurried back to find Rachel had traded places with Dr. Spencer and was now performing CPR. Dr. Spencer was helping the EMT's prepare to intubate. Detective Casey glanced around and sighed when he saw the Winchesters and the other three men rushing toward him. He handed the blankets to Rachel, who had stopped chest compressions to allow the tube to be threaded down Sam's throat, and turned toward the approaching men.

"What the hell's going on!? What are they doing to Sammy?" Dean cried as he tried to get around the detective.

"They're trying to keep him alive Dean. Please…let them work," the detective replied.

The six men stopped in their tracks and stared in shock at the man before them.

"What do you mean? You said he was dead…" John said, his voice hoarse and filled with pain.

"They thought he was. I'm not sure what's going on myself, but Dr. Spencer says he's still alive."

Dean pushed past the detective and rushed to his brother's side, dropping to his knees beside him and grasping Sam's cold hand. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he took in Sam's battered body.

"I'm here Sammy. You hold on kiddo. You fight Sam so you can come back to us," he cried softly, squeezing Sam's hand gently.

The other men stepped behind Dean, John and Daniel dropping down next to him. They looked up when Dr. Spencer spoke.

"Detective, who are these people?" she asked with annoyance.

"This is Sam's family. They've been looking for him," the detective replied.

Dr. Spencer looked at each man, taking in the anguish and relief on each face. The two younger ones who were kneeled beside Sam she deduced were his brothers and the older man must be his father. Her heart broke as she witnessed their distress.

"We need to move him. We need to get him to the hospital. You can follow the ambulance, but we need to move him now," she said with urgency.

The men looked and noticed for the first time the tube that was down Sam's throat and the blue bag attached to it that the woman was squeezing. The younger woman was once again performing CPR and continued even when the EMT's arrived with a gurney. Dean and Daniel stood and helped the two men lift Sam's limp body and place it on the gurney. Once Sam was secured and wrapped in blankets, the gurney was raised and the EMT's began to quickly wheel it to the ambulance, the doctor and her assistant never missing a beat as the boy was loaded into the back of the vehicle.

"Do any of you know CPR? Nick here will need an extra set of hands once transport has started. Rachel and I need to take our own vehicles," Dr. Spencer queried.

Dean immediately jumped into the ambulance and pushed in, taking over chest compressions from the younger woman.

"Okay…I guess that answers my question," Dr. Spencer said with a slight smile.

Dr. Spencer left the bagging to Nick and exited the ambulance, followed closely by her assistant. She looked into John's expectant eyes and smiled warmly. "We'll do everything we can for your son," she said before slamming the doors shut and moving to her vehicle.

John, Daniel and the other hunters stood for a moment, still in shock at the events that had transpired. They soon snapped out of their stupors when the ambulance started to pull away and they rushed to their vehicles. They pulled in closely behind the rig once it had turned around, intent on staying as close to the vehicle and it's precious cargo as they possibly could.

John drove in silence, Daniel beside him on the front seat, his eyes glued to the back of the speeding ambulance. He sent up a silent prayer to whomever may be listening, thanking them for bringing his baby back to he and his family. He had his Sammy back and he vowed that no one would ever hurt him again.

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**Told ya I didn't kill Winchesters! Now, you may be wondering how it is that the medical crew thought Sam was dead, what with his vitals being non-existant and his body cold, no reaction to pain. That will be explained. Okay, please let me know what you think. I'll post more tomorrow. At least one chapter.**

**Cindy.**


	38. Chapter 38

**It's that time again. New chapter time! Please enjoy. **

**Cindy.**

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**Dominican Hospital-Thirty minutes later**

Dean paced the waiting area, his mind still in the back of the ambulance where he had helped to keep his baby brother alive long enough to reach the hospital and Dr. Heely. He didn't notice the worried glances cast his way as he had more important things to think about. The color of Sam's skin, the angry bruises that encircled his neck, the blueness of his lips, the way he jerked with every chest compression. Dean would never forget the feeling of having Sam there at his fingertips but still so lost to him. He had wanted so badly to take Sam into his arms and hug him close and never let go, but he had continued to pump his baby brother's chest to keep the precious life blood flowing through his veins, delivering the oxygen his battered body needed to survive.

A gentle yet firm hand on his shoulder stopped Dean's frantic pacing and he turned anguished eyes on his father, seeing the same anguish reflected back at him. With that look, Dean lost all semblance of stoicism and collapsed into John's arms, relishing the strong embrace that enfolded him as he sobbed into his father's neck. He followed dutifully as John led him to a chair and gently pushed him down before taking the seat next to him. Daniel sat on the other side and the three Winchester men sat in silence, Dean's sobs having slowed to occasional hiccups. Caleb, Joshua and Bobby sat in seats opposite their fellow hunters, worry etched in the lines of their faces. Yes, Sam had finally been found, but they still didn't truly have him back. Not until they heard that their beloved boy would survive would any of the men really feel that they had gotten him back. All they could do now was wait for Dr. Heely to come and tell them if they should be celebrating or grieving.

"Dad? How do you think Sammy got all the way to where he was found from that warehouse? The shape he was in, how did he get anywhere at all?" Daniel's tired voice queried, breaking the silence that had settled over the hunters.

"I don't know Daniel. You saw how torn up his hands and knees were. I think he crawled at least part of the way," John replied, rubbing a hand over his scruffy face.

Dean sat forward and turned to John. "Dad…it's nearly two miles from the warehouse to Jordan Road, and the terrain isn't exactly smooth and easy. Do you really think Sam got that far on foot?" he asked, doubt in his voice.

"The extent of your little brother's strength never ceases to amaze me boys. The way he was scratched up and the way he was leaning against that boulder before he was laid out flat on the ground tells me that he made it to the road and leant against the rock, maybe to rest. He must have collapsed at that point, his body no longer able to stay conscious. I think Sammy's will to live got him that far," John answered, his voice filled with awe.

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**_Sam's Journey_**

_Long, dark lashes fluttered against pale cheeks before soft hazel eyes appeared as Sam awoke, moaning softly as he attempted to move on the cold concrete floor. He flinched slightly as Trenton Wilcox's lifeless face came into focus, the man's cold, dead eyes frozen in a shocked stare. Sam had no way of knowing how long he had been unconscious, but he knew that if he wanted to get back to his family he had to get moving. Wilcox wouldn't be dead for long if the tattoo that decorated his chest truly was a sign that he had had the binding ritual performed on him like his father. The steady throb on Sam's chest where Wilcox had bitten him convinced Sam that his captor truly would soon be alive again. Once that happened, he would hunt Sam down, never stopping until he had finished what he had started or was taken out himself, a silver dagger piercing his tattoo and heart._

_Sam summoned every ounce of strength he could muster and slowly, gingerly he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He worked his bare, burnt feet under him and grasping the countertop of the cabinets, he pulled himself up, immediately resting his forehead on the counter to ease the vertigo that swept over him. A few deep breaths later and Sam was able to open his eyes and stand, ignoring the pain in his feet as best he could. He thought for a moment about trying to find his clothes but then remembered they had been cut from him. What Wilcox had done with them Sam had no idea, but he decided to not spend one more minute than he had to in this hell hole and pushed off the counter, steadying himself before taking his first step toward the door to freedom._

_Sam made it to the door and opened it slowly, not sure of what may be on the other side. He groaned softly when he saw the steep set of stairs leading upward. Grasping tightly onto the handrail, Sam dragged himself slowly up the stairs, his shoulder scraping against the wall as his body refused to remain completely upright. Sam finally reached the top of the stairs and pushed the door at the top open. Once through he closed it again, just like he'd done below. He staggered across the floor, grabbing onto whatever he could to keep from falling. After opening one more door Sam found himself outside, the cool air wafting over him. Sam sucked in as much air as his damaged throat allowed, reveling in the fresh scents that replaced the staleness of the air he was used to these past days._

_Sam stumbled away from the building, looking around, trying to decide the best direction to head. He decided to go away from the road, wanting to avoid Wilcox possibly finding him when he awoke. Sam made his way to the back of the small warehouse and began his trek through the thick underbrush and trees. Branches reached out to scratch at his skin, but Sam didn't slow his already painfully slow pace, needing to put as much distance between himself and the man who wanted him dead. Rocks cut into his already injured feet and Sam hissed in pain as a particularly sharp rock jabbed dead center into the burn on his right foot. He stumbled, his hands reaching out before him, but he was unable to stop his descent as he crashed to the ground, crying out as his knees made violent contact with the rough, rocky dirt._

_Sam sat back on his heels, his hands planted firmly on the ground as he bowed his head. It was at this time that he noticed a tingling, numb sensation in his arm. He suddenly remembered dumping over a container in Wilcox's kitchen and the weird sensation as something dusted over his arm. He looked at his right arm and noticed a strange white residue covering most of his forearm. He brushed at the dust with his left hand, wary of the tingling the dust created. Finally feeling that he had at least some strength back in his legs, Sam pushed to his feet again and resumed his trek._

_Sam concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as he forged on, the need to escape strong, the need to see his family again even stronger. He pushed on for what seemed like hours, falling several times as his steadily weakening limbs repeatedly gave out beneath him. He began to feel a continuing constriction in his chest as breathing became more and more difficult. Although he had been hiking non-stop toward an unknown destination, Sam's heart rate felt like it was slowing down rather than speeding up and Sam feared what the meant. Despite his weakness and difficulty in breathing, Sam pushed on, crying out in relief when what appeared to be a road came into view._

_Sam hurried forward, his eyes moving up the short incline to the road. He yelped in pain as his foot caught in the thick undergrowth and he pitched forward, crashing face first to the ground, his teeth slamming painfully together as his chin hit. Tears of pain and frustration spilled from his eyes as he tried to get to his feet, a quick grunt escaping him as his arms gave way and he hit the ground again. Sam closed his eyes and began to shiver as his sweat soaked body began to cool as a swift breeze began to blow over him. For several minutes Sam lay there, exhaustion and pain keeping him immobile. A strange lethargy seeped into him and Sam knew that if he had any chance of rescue he had to reach the road._

_Despite the nearly paralyzing effects of his reduced heart rate and breathing, plus the numbness that had spread from his arm to the rest of his body, Sam somehow found the strength to get to his hands and knees. Unable to gain his feet, the exhausted teenager started to crawl toward the incline, the rocky, unforgiving ground tearing at the skin of his palms and knees. He dragged himself up the incline, nearly on his stomach now. With a cry of relief, Sam made it to the edge of the road. A small boulder sat a few feet away and he crawled to it then propped his back against it, collapsing back in sheer exhaustion._

_Sam cried tears of despair as he gazed around, every inch of his body screaming in agony. In every direction there was nothing but darkness and the boy deflated as he realized he would most likely not be found on this dark and deserted road. He reached forward with his left hand as he tried to pull away from the rock but all strength had left him and he listed to the side, sliding painfully along the boulder before falling onto his side, his left arm flat out on before him on the ground, palm up and fingers slightly curled. His right arm dropped over his stomach and his hand came to rest on the ground, curling to his chest._

_Sam tried to sit up but what strength he had left after his journey seeped from him as his body felt as if it were shutting down. Tears streamed from his eyes as his mouth gaped open, his lungs seemingly unable to draw in air._

_"I'm sorry Daddy. I tried to get back to you. I tried to hold on…" the fading boy thought sadly._

_Sam's eyes closed as his oxygen deprived body gave in to the darkness that pulled at him. He drifted away as the faces of his family flitted through his mind and Sam knew that he would not be waking up again._

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All three Winchester men paced the waiting room, still waiting on word about Sam. Detective Casey had come and gone, having gotten directions to the warehouse where Sam had been held. Bobby, Joshua and Caleb sat in chairs, watching their friends warily, fearing the men were on the brink of breaking. If word of Sam didn't arrive soon, they were afraid the men would tear the hospital apart. The three men looked on with relief when they spied Dr. Heely hurrying their way and they rose to stand with the Winchesters, eager to hear what the man had to say. John and his boys descended on the poor doctor as he neared, their faces expectant, their movements frantic.

"How's Sammy doc? Is he okay?" Dean cried, his voice quaking with emotion.

"Why don't we move to a private room where we can talk without prying ears," Dr. Heely suggested, his eyes moving around the waiting room.

"Please Dr. Heely, we just need to know if Sammy's okay," Daniel pled as he grasped the doctor's arm.

"I understand Daniel. Sam is holding his own right now, but that's all I'm going to say until we find some place more private. I've been informed that the media has gotten word of Sam's abduction and rescue and are in the hospital. I want to protect Sam's privacy as much as possible," Dr. Heely explained, moving toward a hallway, glancing back to make sure the six men were following.

John and his boys, followed closely by Bobby, Caleb and Joshua, hurried after the doctor as he made his way a short distance down the hall. The doctor stopped at a door and opened it, holding it so the men could enter the room beyond. Dr. Heely shut the door and motioned for the men to all take a seat. He seated himself then glanced at each man.

"Okay doctor, we're here. Now tell me about my son," John demanded, his dark gaze resting intently on the doctor.

"John, boys, gentlemen…I'm just going to get right to it. At the moment, Sam is in a coma. He…" the doctor started.

"What!? Sammy's in a coma? Oh my God!" Caleb cried, the other hunters too shocked to speak.

"Now…before you all get too panicked, let me just set your minds at ease. Sam's coma is mild. More like a very deep slumber. It's what his body needs to repair itself. The fact that Sam's alive at all to even be in a coma is a miracle. To tell you the truth…with everything Sam's body has been through, there is no medical explanation for him to have survived," the doctor stated, allowing the information to sink in before continuing.

"What do you mean? I mean, he was beat to hell and tortured but what else happened to my brother?" Daniel queried fearfully.

Dr. Heely sighed before starting to relay the long list of Sam's injuries. "I'll begin with Sam's physical injuries, which include a missing piece of scalp that has become infected, deep lacerations on his back, chest, abdomen and thighs, a bite penetration wound on his chest and three very serious electrical burns…"

"What? Electrical burns? Where?" Joshua queried.

"One on his left ribcage and one on the bottom of each foot. The burn on his right foot is very worrisome and we're doing everything we can to prevent the need for amputation…"

"Amputation!? What are you talking about?" Dean cried.

"The burn on Sam's right foot is quite severe. I'm not sure what was used to cause this damage, but…"

"Cattle prod. The asshole used an old cattle prod on him," Bobby uttered, muted rage burning through him.

"My God…what kind of monster is this man?" the doctor questioned, his stomach suddenly sick.

"The worst kind doc. And he ain't no man…he's a piece of shit!" Caleb commented angrily.

Dr. Heely nodded, then looking into the anguished eyes of the silent Winchester men, he continued. "An electrical burn of such severity can easily become infected and with the extent of tissue damage, even if Sam doesn't lose his foot, the scar tissue will definitely cause lasting effects. He'll most likely have a slight limp for the rest of his life."

John scrubbed a hand over his scruffy face and stared sadly at the doctor. "What else doctor? What other damage was done to my baby?"

"We're keeping a close eye on Sam's heart as any time any degree of electroshock is done, there is a chance of cardiac damage. There is also a chance of memory loss."

"So, his heart could be shot and he may not remember us?" Dean queried, his fury barely contained.

"We'll keep a close eye on his heart and if anything looks off, we'll start treating it immediately. As for the memory loss, it will most likely be temporary if there is any and it's usually sporadic. Some things the victim can remember just fine and some, not so much," Dr. Heely explained.

"So…what else doc?" Dean asked wearily.

"Sam is malnourished, dehydrated, and slightly hypothermic. He has a bacterial infection, most likely caused by drinking contaminated water. He was strangled which caused his throat to swell. He'll be on a vent until we're sure the danger of his throat closing completely has passed. Now, the unseasonably cooler weather actually helped Sam in that it kept his throat from swelling as much and helped slow his blood flow. We're hoping that this will help alleviate the chance of brain damage due to oxygen deprivation," the doctor explained.

"So, he could have brain damage?" John asked, fear restricting his breathing.

"There is that chance. Things look fairly positive right now but we won't know completely until Sam wakes up."

"Was Sammy drugged?" Bobby asked nervously.

"Sam had several different drugs in his system. Some were just mild sedatives, but there were some worrisome substances also," the doctor answered.

"Like what?" John questioned, his hands clasped tightly together.

"There was evidence that Sam was injected with insulin. Luckily, it wasn't enough to cause lasting damage but it probably made him very sick for awhile. Another drug we found is apomorphine. This can cause extreme drowsiness, chest pain, swelling in the face, tongue or throat. It can cause confusion and hallucinations, tremors and restless muscle movements. The most serious thing we found though was tetrodotoxin," Dr. Heely explained, watching with sadness as the men deflated further and further the more he spoke.

John heaved a heavy sigh and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He looked up to meet the doctor's eyes. "That's why it appeared that Sam was dead, right? Tetrodotoxin is the zombie drug," John stated.

"That's right John. It is the main ingredient in what is referred to as the Haitian zombie powder. It is a deadly neurotoxin that is most commonly acquired from the puffer fish. The powder is applied to the skin and the victim can appear to be dead. They don't have a noticeable heartbeat, their breathing is so shallow they seem to not be breathing at all and they don't respond to painful stimuli. They feel the pain, but they can't respond because they are in essence completely paralyzed. It's quite rare for someone poisoned in this way to survive. The fact that Sam did survive is absolutely amazing. With everything else that's happened to him, to have been poisoned with tetrodotoxin should have been a death sentence. I've got to say, I'm in awe of the kid," Dr. Heely stated.

"We all are doctor. He's an amazing kid," John said affectionately, his eyes bright with pride.

"That he is. Now, we took care of Sam's wounds. We bandaged the abrasions on his wrists and ankles, as well as his palms and knees. There were some tears on his back and abdomen that needed stitching. I'd sure like to know what made those wounds," the doctor said absently.

"Belt buckle. Wilcox beat Sam with a leather belt then used the belt buckle on him. The prongs on the buckle caused the tears," Joshua said hoarsly.

"How do you know this?" the doctor queried.

"He…the prick sent us videos of him torturing Sam," Daniel said softly, his head in his hands.

"Oh my God…I'm so sorry," Dr. Heely whispered, shaking his head in shock.

"Dr. Heely…there's one thing we haven't discussed…" John started, sensing the fearful looks his sons and friends cast his way.

Dr. Heely gazed at John, sure that he knew what John wanted to know, but waiting for the man to ask. John took a deep breath and raised terrified eyes to meet he doctor's kind eyes.

"Was my boy…was Sam…was he raped?" John stammered, merely mentioning the dreaded word causing bile to rise in his throat.

Dr. Heely looked at the man and his family with sympathy. What these men had been through was agonizing and this final fear was the most feared of all. Dr. Heely shook his head as he answered.

"There is no evidence that Sam was sexually assaulted. We did a complete rape exam and thankfully it appears as though he escaped that particular injustice. However, only Sam can tell us if anything happened that would leave no physical evidence," the doctor said, watching the men closely.

"You mean if Wilcox molested him?" Daniel queried.

"Yes Daniel. There wouldn't be evidence of that. We won't know if anything else happened until Sam awakens," Dr. Heely answered.

"Can we see him now?" John asked wearily, the magnitude of what Sam had endured and survived slamming into him and making it hard for him to breathe.

"He should be settled in his room now. I've put him in the critical care unit at least until we can take him off the vent and he wakes from his coma. I'll take you there now and I'll arrange for three of you to stay with him at night," Dr. Heely answered.

"Thank you doctor. For everything. We're grateful for everything you've done," John said, standing before shaking the doctor's hand.

"You're welcome John. I'm quite fond of Sam and was very distressed when I heard of his abduction. I'm going to do everything in my power to get him through this," the doctor said as he led the men to the elevators that would take them to their beloved Sam.

As the men rode the elevator up to the critical care floor, Dr. Heely turned to John, apprehensive about the answer he would receive to the question he had been waiting to ask.

"Did they find Trenton Wilcox? Is he in custody?" the doctor asked, his heart dropping into his stomach at the look on the men's faces.

"No…we don't know where he is, and until he's found, Sammy is still in danger," Dean answered.

"I'll make sure each security guard and greeter has a photo of him. I'll have extra guards on Sam's floor. That monster will not get near that boy. I promise you that John," Dr. Heely said forcefully.

"I appreciate that doctor. Sam can't go through any more at the hands of that son of a bitch," John said, casting a glance at the doctor.

Dr. Heely nodded as he led the men away from the elevators and to the CCU. Within moments they were outside Sam's room and the six hunters stared through the glass door with apprehension. Dr. Heely slid the door open and watched as the men filed into the room. He walked away, leaving the men to watch over Sam in peace.

John and his boys stepped tentatively up to the bed, their three friends staying a few feet behind. Tears spilled from the Winchester men's eyes as they took in the condition of their most precious family member. John reached for Sam's right hand and gently took it into his larger one. He sat on the seat that Bobby pushed up behind him and brought Sam's hand to his lips, kissing his fingers tenderly as tears trailed down his cheeks. He gazed at Sam's peaceful face, cringing at the sight of the vent tube protruding from Sam's mouth.

"We're here Sammy. You're safe now. You get the rest you need and wake up when you're ready. We'll be here when you open your eyes baby. We're so proud of you Sammy. We love you so much. Just…come back to us kiddo. We need you…" John said softly, his fingers brushing Sam's cheek lovingly.

The six men settled in, content to sit and watch Sam sleep. To watch Sam breathe. To watch Sam live.

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**So, I got the idea for the 'zombie drug' from a movie titled The Serpent and the Rainbow. It's based on a true story. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please be kind and rewind...oh...I mean review!!!! I will hopefully have another chapter up later tonight. **

**Cindy.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Here you go guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Tissue alert.**

**Cindy.**

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Daniel hated this. Absolutely, kick someone, anyone in the balls hated this. Three days they had sat vigil by Sam's bedside. Three days without even a twitch of a finger. Nurses came and went and dressings were changed daily. Sam was bathed, cared for, fawned over by, well, just about everyone. Dr. Heely came in several times a day and checked the youngest Winchester over and it was always the same thing.

_"He needs his rest. He'll wake when he's ready,"_ the doctor would say with a smile and then he would leave.

Daniel thought he'd rested enough already. He wanted his little brother awake. Now. Every second that Sam's eyes were closed was another second that he wasn't truly back. Daniel wanted, no, needed to see those eyes so that he could breathe again. The vent still being in didn't help either because Daniel wanted to hear Sam's voice too, but Dr. Heely wasn't ready to remove it just yet. Daniel was going full on crazy here. They all were. Sam was still in a coma, Trenton Wilcox was still on the loose, at least they thought he was, and they still had no idea where he was.

Bobby, Caleb and Joshua had the warehouse staked out in hopes that the animal would show up. They had wanted to get back inside right away but had had to wait until the police and crime scene folks were done. Once they had gotten back inside though, most of the evidence had been cleaned away, taken to be analyzed. There really wasn't much left to sift through, so they started the stakeout instead. John and one of the boys would relieve two of them so they could sit with Sam for awhile and then they'd switch back when the Winchesters became too antsy about being away from the kid.

Daniel had to chuckle about the way they were all acting. Big, tough macho hunters reduced to shuffling around, hardly able to stand it until it was their turn to sit with one sleepy kid. Men who didn't think twice about removing a vampire's head from it's body fussing over a comatose seventeen year old, straightening his blankets, brushing gentle fingers through his hair, whispering softly into his ear. Daniel shook his head and sat softly on the edge of the bed, Sam's cool hand held firmly in his.

"Sammy, you wouldn't believe what's going on here," Daniel began lightly, his eyes resting on Sam's lax face. "You sure have us all wrapped around your finger kiddo. You really need to wake up so you can see it for yourself 'cause it's…well you'd never believe it if you didn't see it dude."

Daniel shifted higher up the bed so he could brush his fingers through Sam's bangs. They couldn't keep the hair out of the kid's eyes as the dressing that held the bandage on the back of his head in place also held the hair in place, right over his eyes. Daniel's fingers paused and he smoothed them down Sam's cheek, happy that the heat that had been there the first few days had given way to a healthier temperature. Daniel straightened Sam's blanket for the hundredth time then sat back and sighed. He really wanted Sam to wake up now.

"Hey Sam…you need to wake up. You're turning us into a bunch of girls you know. In fact, last night something so shocking happened that I know you'll never believe it, but it did happen. Dean…he uh…he crawled in next to you. **_Gently_** Sam…Dean crawled in gently next to you and then he…he cuddled with you. He pulled you close and he cuddled with you. Stayed that way all night. And you know what the real kicker is Sammy? It's my turn tonight. We're cuddlers now Sam. Do you see why you have to wake up?" Daniel said, his voice becoming hoarse with emotion.

Sam slept on, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, thanks to the ventilator, his only movement. Daniel stared down at him, a sad smile on his lips. He just wanted his baby brother back. Nothing else mattered except getting their small family put back together.

"Where are you Sammy? Where are you?" Daniel whispered as John and Dean slipped quietly into the room.

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_Soft hazel eyes opened and peered around in confusion. They blinked several times before glancing around again. They stared up into a sky so blue that it made them water. Sam sat up slowly and turned his head to one side then the other. Above him the blue sky went on forever, dotted here and there with the fluffiest, whitest clouds Sam had ever seen. Sam sat in a field of tall, green grass sprinkled with brilliantly colored wild flowers as far as the eye could see. He pushed himself to his feet, shocked when there was no pain to take his breath away. He turned in a circle and realized he was all alone._

_"Hello!?" Sam cried, his hands coming up to cup his mouth as he called. He was met only with his own echoed reply._

_Sam began to walk slowly through the grass and flowers, sure that he should be afraid but feeling only peaceful and calm. He stopped when he thought he heard a soft voice singing. The voice seemed to be coming from all directions and Sam strained to hear the words, sure that he'd heard the voice and the song before. Sam closed his eyes and let the song wash over him, a warm smile curling his lips._

_"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away…"_

_Sam opened his eyes and looked around, sure he knew whom the voice belonged to. A single tear spilled from his eye when he heard the gentle voice behind him. He slowly turned, sucking in a quick breath when he saw her standing there, love in her eyes, the most beautiful smile Sam had ever seen on her lips._

_"Sam…" she whispered, her fingers reaching tentatively for him._

_"M-Mom?" Sam whispered back as he took a nervous step forward._

_She smiled when she heard his voice and nodded as she brought her arms out before her, reaching for her baby boy. A second later the boy was wrapped in her arms, his face nestled to her neck, sobbing softly. Mary caressed his soft hair and whispered sweet nothings as tears rolled down her pink cheeks. She pulled back and reached up with gentle fingers to brush Sam's tears away._

_"Sammy…I've missed you so much," she whispered softly, her eyes aglow with love._

_"Mom…I…am I dead?" Sam asked softly as he gently wrapped his fingers around his mother's wrist._

_"No sweetie…you're just a little…lost," Mary replied, her voice as sweet as the softest lullaby._

_"But…why are you here? If I'm not dead…then…" Sam queried fearfully._

_"I'm here to help you Sam. I'm here to help you shed the guilt you carry. I'm here to help you go home," Mary answered._

_"Guilt? About what?"_

_"About me. You think I died because of you."_

_"But you did. The man who killed you was there for me. It was my fault."_

_"No Sam, it wasn't. Yes…he was there for you, but that wasn't your fault. You are the victim here Sam. There is someone to blame, but it's not you. I know this Sam…you have to trust me and let go of the guilt. And, you have to go back to them."_

_"But, I want to stay with you. It doesn't hurt here. Dad, Dean and Daniel…they're better off without me there to drag them down…"_

_"Oh sweetie…you couldn't be more wrong. You don't drag them down honey…you lift them up. You are their light. Without you, they would have only the hunt. Only darkness."_

_"I only bring pain and death to the ones I love…"_

_"No Sam. You don't bring pain and death. You bring love and happiness and purpose. Without you, they'll die. They'll become reckless. You are the one who keeps them safe. They know they can't die because then you'd be left alone. Without you, they won't feel the need to be as careful…"_

_"I killed Alisa Mom…she died because I didn't tell her. I didn't protect her," Sam cried softly, his grief renewed._

_"Sam…no…" a soft voice sounded and Sam tensed before slowly looking over his shoulder._

_"Alisa? Oh my God…" Sam whispered before turning back to Mary._

_Mary smiled warmly and nodded. "Go to your girl, Sam," she said lovingly._

_Sam turned and stared at the beautiful raven haired girl who stood several feet away. His breath caught as he met her sapphire eyes. His feet began to slowly carry him toward her as his eyes once again became blurred with tears. Sam stepped up to Alisa and reached out with trembling hands, but stopped before actually touching her. He dropped his head to his chest in shame, unable to meet her gaze any longer._

_"I'm so sorry Alisa…so sorry. It should've been me…not you…" he said sadly._

_Soft, gentle hands grasped his face and pulled it up until Sam's eyes once again fell upon Alisa's face. Alisa smiled sweetly, her eyes glistening with her own unshed tears._

_"No Sam…it wasn't your fault. You did everything you could to protect me. I came back. I had to come back. Don't you see? If he would have killed you, I would've died anyway. I couldn't go on if I lost you that way…" Alisa said softly before reaching up and gently pressing her lips to Sam's._

_Sam's arms encircled the girl and their kiss deepened. A sudden sob broke free from Sam and he lowered his face to Alisa's shoulder. She stroked his hair and whispered words of love and comfort as Sam continued to sob._

_"It's okay Sam. I'm okay. Shhh…please don't cry for me baby," Alisa cooed softly._

_"I…I m-miss you so m-much Alisa. I want to stay with you…please let me stay," Sam pled, his voice hoarse from crying._

_"I miss you too baby, but your mother is right. You have to go back. Your family needs you Sam. You need to go back and avenge me…" Alisa whispered, her eyes meeting Sam's as he pulled away and gazed down at her._

_Alisa's reached up and brushed the tears from Sam's cheeks, smiling as he closed his eyes and leant in to her touch. His eyes opened again and Sam bowed his head toward Alisa, his lips finding hers once more. After a moment he pulled away and smiled sadly._

_"I will avenge you Alisa. And I'll avenge you too Mom," Sam said, his eyes moving to the beautiful blond woman who stood behind Alisa. "Whatever the yellow eyed man has planned, I'll stop it. For you."_

_Mary nodded as she moved next to Alisa. She reached up and cupped Sam's face then pulled him to her and kissed him lovingly on the cheek. She pulled away and watched as Sam lifted trembling fingers to his cheek where her lips had touched him. New tears spilled from his hazel eyes as his mother and girlfriend disappeared before him, their soft whispers of goodbye floating on the breeze around him._

_"Goodbye. I love you," Sam whispered as he turned and started to walk through the grass again._

_Sam had walked only a few steps when he abruptly stopped, his hands flying to his throat in panic as he suddenly found he could no longer breathe. He dropped to his knees and clawed at his neck as he gasped harshly, trying to draw in air. As darkness descended on him, he swore he could hear his name being called, the voice sounding scared and frantic. He could feel phantom hands pushing him gently to the ground and the voice, no, voices became soothing as they seemed to be trying to comfort him. Sam smiled as he closed his eyes, thinking maybe he would be staying here after all._

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The sound of Sam choking brought the three Winchester men immediately to their feet, their eyes widening as they saw Sam clawing weakly at his throat. His eyes were still closed, but it was obvious he was waking and choking on the vent tube. Daniel frantically pressed the call button while John and Dean gently but firmly pulled Sam's hands away before he could do any damage to himself. Both father and son spoke soft, urgent words to try and calm the boy.

"Sam, it's okay son. You're okay…just relax. You need the tube right now baby," John said, keeping his voice low and even despite the panic he felt.

"Sammy…don't fight it. Just let go…you'll be fine kiddo. We're here…we're all here…" Dean whispered as he held Sam's shoulder down while reaching up to brush his fingers through Sam's hair.

The second Dean touched Sam's hair, the boy's eyes flew open and he stared in fear at the shapes above him. Something was choking him and hands were holding him down. He could hear voices but couldn't make out what they were saying or whom they were coming from. Just as he thought he would die from suffocation a voice broke through his panic and Sam immediately relaxed as he recognized it as his brother's voice. He blinked his eyes and suddenly Dean and John came into focus above him. He looked from one to the other, tears immediately spilling down his cheeks in relief. He blinked again and saw that Daniel now stood above him, a warm smile curling his lips.

"There you are Sam. We were wondering when you were gonna come back to us," Daniel said softly, his fingers gently caressing Sam's cheek.

The sudden bustle as hospital personel poured into the room scared Sam, causing him to flinch and his eyes widened in fear until his father's voice sounded reassuringly near his ear.

"It's okay baby…you're in the hospital. It's just the people who have been taking care of you," John said softly, his hand rubbing comforting circles on his shoulder.

A woman's face, round and friendly appeared, a warm smile spread wide and welcoming. "Well, I finally get to see those eyes I've been hearing so much about. I gotta say, they are living up to expectations," she said through her smile.

Sam peered at her and tried to speak, which of course was impossible with a tube down his throat. She glanced away and Sam heard her tell the other people they could leave before she turned her attention back to him.

"Dr. Heely is on his way sweetie. He'll want to take a look at you before he removes the vent. You just hang tight okay?" the nurse said softly as she began to fuss over the tired boy.

Sam nodded then moved his eyes, seeking out his family. He reached out his hand when he saw John and relaxed into his pillow when he felt his father's strong, warm hand encircle his cooler one. He felt the bed dip on his other side and rolled his head slightly to find Dean perched at his side, smiling down at him.

"Hey kiddo. Welcome back. You gave us quite a scare Sammy. We thought we'd lost you…" Dean said softly.

Sam reached for Dean's hand and squeezed weakly when he found it. He closed his eyes and let a tear squeeze through his lids as he contemplated with remorse the worry he had inflicted once again on his family. A gentle squeeze to his hand had him opening his eyes once again.

"Don't do that Sammy. Nothing that happened is your fault. We didn't protect you well enough. It's our fault," Dean said firmly.

Sam shook his head, trying to convey with his eyes what he couldn't say. Dean smiled down at him and lifted Sam's cool hand, kissing his fingers softly.

"Okay, okay…it's nobody's fault. Well, it isn't any of ours at least. It's that monster who's to blame…" Dean said, immediately regretting bringing up Wilcox when he saw the fear fill Sam's eyes.

"It's okay Sammy. He can't get near you anymore. It looks like he may even be dead given the amount of blood at that warehouse…" Daniel quipped hurriedly.

Sam shook his head vigorously, reaching with his fingers, trying to signal for what he needed. The heart monitor began to beep incessantly as Sam became more agitated and his family frantically tried to calm him, wondering if they should call the nurse back in.

"What is it Sammy. What do you need?" John queried, his eyes watching his son's actions closely.

"Paper? Do you want paper Sam?" Dean asked, smiling when Sam nodded.

Daniel disappeared and reappeared a few moments later, a small note pad and pencil in his hands. He held the paper in front of Sam and slipped the pencil between his trembling fingers. Sam scribbled onto the note pad, glancing up when he was finished. Daniel pulled the pad away and read the words, confusion in his eyes.

'Killed him-not dead' was all the paper said.

"What does that mean Sam? Killed him-not dead?" Daniel queried then held the pad before Sam again, pulling it away when Sam finished scribbling.

Daniel gasped when he read the one word written on the paper. He handed it to John and sat heavily on the chair next to him. John looked at the paper, all color draining from his face. He looked back at Sam and knew things had just gotten much worse. Dean reached across Sam and retrieved the pad, his eyes closing once he too had read the paper. Written on the pad in scratchy penmanship was one word. One word that brought new meaning to just how bad the situation had become. Dean dropped the pad to the bed and stared across at his father and brother. He looked down and his eyes fell on the paper again, on the word. The one word that changed everything. The word 'Tattoo'.

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**Well? **

**Cindy.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Well, if I go by the comments I received, that last chapter really got to a lot of you. It got to me when I wrote it. I'm glad you all liked it. So, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it too. **

**Cindy.**

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Dean and Daniel sat at either side of Sam's bed watching their younger brother sleep. They could hear John and Bobby talking quietly near the windows and they looked up at each other before turning their attention back to Sam. Sam slept, but not as peacefully as his family would have liked. His slumber was tainted with the soft murmurs and whimpers that signaled his ever present nightmares. At least Dean and Daniel didn't have to see the vent tube protruding from his mouth, having to listen as he was assailed by bad dreams was bad enough. Dr. Heely had removed the tube not long after Sam awoke from his coma and the whole family had been more than relieved to see Sam breathing on his own. That was several hours ago and Sam had been asleep ever since, the exhaustion from his ordeal pulling him under right after the tube had been removed.

Sam cried out softly and his eyes flew open wide. His gaze flitted around, his eyes filled with fear. He panted as he tried to catch his breath and it took him a moment to register the gentle hands that grasped his arms and the concern filled voice that sounded near his ear. He turned his head in the direction of the voice and relaxed slightly when Dean's face came into focus.

"That's it Sammy. Calm down kiddo. You're safe…" Dean said softly, smiling as Sam relaxed further at the sound of his voice.

"D-Dean?" Sam rasped, his throat sore from the vent tube.

Dean sat on the edge of the bed and took Sam's hand. "Yeah Sammy? What do you need?" he asked.

"Hurts…" Sam whispered.

Dean frowned and looked up at Daniel, whose face showed the same concern.

"What hurts Sam?" Daniel asked softly.

Sam turned his head slowly, his eyes dull with pain as he sought out his oldest brother. "Everything…" he whispered softly in reply.

Daniel smiled a sad smile and looked back up to Dean. He looked back down and his heart broke when he saw the tears that trailed down Sam's pale cheeks. He reached out and wiped the tears away with his fingertips.

"I know Sam. If I could take your pain away, I would. You know that kiddo, right?" Daniel said softly.

Sam nodded and smiled up at his brother then turned to Dean. Dean squeezed Sam's hand when he recognized the fear that still dwelled in the younger boy's eyes. He knew where that fear came from because he felt it himself, though he would never let Sam see it. They all knew that fear. It was a fear that wouldn't go away until Trenton Wilcox was truly dead. Until then they knew he would hunt Sam relentlessly. Their only hope for reprieve was if the deranged man thought that Sam was dead. They'd succeeded so far in keeping any news of Sam's rescue out of the papers and off the local news, but knew it was only a matter of time before word got out. Dean squeezed Sam's hand again and sat forward, noticing Sam's eyelids becoming heavy again.

"Don't fight the sleep Sam. You need your rest," he instructed softly.

"B-But he's there…I see him when I sleep. I feel it when he hurts me…" Sam said fearfully as he attempted to stay awake.

"I know, but we're here to watch over you. He can't get near you Sammy. He'd have to go through a lot of people to get to you," Dean replied, his heart filled with sorrow for what his brother had endured.

"I…I don't want anyone else getting hurt just to protect me Dean. I'm not worth it…"

"Don't say that Sam. You're more than worth it to us," Daniel interrupted, fury building for the man who had renewed Sam's feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness.

"I just…I couldn't take losing anyone else I love just because they were trying to keep me safe," Sam said softly as more tears fell.

"You're not gonna lose any of us Sam," Dean said reassuringly.

"You don't know that Dean. I almost lost you all in the crash and that was all because of me," Sam said, his pain filled voice barely over a whisper.

"You can't blame yourself Sam. Put the blame on who really deserves it," Daniel stated, his hand resting softly on Sam's arm.

"Mom and Alisa don't blame me for what happened to them. Can you believe that?" Sam rasped before a sudden fit of coughing hit him.

Daniel and Dean carefully lifted his shoulders up and John was instantly there to hold a straw to Sam's dry lips. Sam drank thirstily until the coughs subsided and smiled thankfully when his brothers lowered him back to his pillows.

"What did you mean Sam?" John asked, having overheard Sam's statement.

"Before I first woke up…I…I was with them. It was beautiful there and there was n-no pain. They said I wasn't to blame…" Sam said tiredly.

"They were right Sammy. What else did they say?" Dean queried, casting a hesitant look his father's way.

"They…they said they loved me, but…but that I had to go back to you. They said you needed me, but that's just…"

"It's true Sam…we do need you. We thought you understood that," John said, his dark eyes staring down at his youngest son.

"I think you'd be better off…safer…if I weren't around."

"Well…you're wrong Sam. For being so smart you sure think some stupid things kiddo," Dean said, jerking Sam's hand lightly to get his attention.

Sam turned sad eyes on Dean, barely able to keep them open. "You really need me?" he asked sleepily.

"Yes Sam…we really need you. Now…get some sleep," Dean replied as John pushed the button on the self medication device that hung from the railing of Sam's bed.

"I need…need you too so don't…don…" Sam slurred as the drug took effect and he drifted off to sleep.

Dean brushed his fingers through Sam's hair and smiled sadly down on his baby brother. "Oh Sammy…I thought we'd gotten past all of this," he whispered.

"Trenton Wilcox has to die for putting Sam through this all over again and for making him feel this way again," Daniel seethed, his eyes catching John's.

"He'll pay Danny, don't worry," John said, his gruff voice sounding tired and weary.

John turned after a moment of watching his baby and went back to the window where Bobby waited patiently. He smiled as he watched his older sons return to their posts beside Sam's bed, taking heart that Sam would be protected and that Trenton Wilcox would never lay another finger on his baby boy again.

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"Are you sure? Can you check for me again?" Trenton Wilcox queried, his calm voice masking the rage he felt.

"I'm sorry sir. I've checked twice. There is no one by the name Sam Winchester registered here," the woman's voice on the phone stated.

"I just…he's my nephew and I received a disturbing phone call from his father then nothing. I can't get ahold of anyone. I'm very worried about the boy. He's not just my nephew, he's my godson also," Wilcox pled convincingly.

"Sir, as I explained, I have already checked. Your nephew isn't a patient here. I'm very sorry but I've done all I can," the woman explained.

"Yeah, well…thanks for nothing bitch!" Wilcox shouted before slamming his phone shut.

To say Trenton Wilcox was pissed was a serious understatement. When he'd woken up in a pool of his own blood, his neck sliced open and his captive nowhere in sight he had nearly lost it. Not only should the little fucker be dead, but his ruined body should have been delivered to his family's doorstep by now. Wilcox knew the kid's family would be on the hunt now and they knew how to kill him. He was sure Sam was still alive as there had been nothing in the news about a dead teenager being found, but he had no idea where the boy could be. It would take some work but he was confident he would find the boy again and this time he would waste no time in squeezing the life from him. He realized if he was patient, he would soon be strong enough to sense where the boy was and be able to easily find him, but he wasn't patient. He wanted Sam Winchester dead and he could not wait for the hoodoo mojo crap to take effect. He wanted Sam dead now.

Wilcox sat back on his bed and turned on the TV. He had rented a motel room, wary of returning to his warehouse home at this time. He was so tired. He hadn't been this tired in a long time. He'd spent several hours after dying and waking again hunting for his escaped captive. The injury the boy had inflicted on him had left him weak and unable to think clearly so he had given up and found a room to lay low in a few towns over from Santa Cruz. He was steadily gaining strength but was still easily tired. Dying and coming back to life could do that to a man. He had sat outside the Winchester home hoping to see the boy if his family brought him home, but had seen no one.

Wilcox shut off the TV and threw the remote on the end of the bed. He scooted down until he was prone on the bed and closed his eyes. If he was going to get Sam back, he needed to build up his strength. He would get the boy back even if he had to take out every member of his family to do it. Ultimately he wanted the other Winchesters alive so they could spend the rest of their lives grieving for their lost son, knowing they failed to protect him, but if he had to kill them to get to Sam, he would. Wilcox smiled as he drifted to sleep, the vision of Sam's eyes as the life was drained from him taking him into the world of dark, dreary dreams. Dreams of torture and murder. Dreams of soft hazel eyes wide with fear and pain as the light left them. Dreams of his father's murderer lying cold and lifeless at his family's door, Sam's father and brothers cries of sorrow echoing through the darkness of his mind.

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**There you go. Please let me know what you think. There will be another chapter coming up later tonight.**

**Cindy.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Next chapter coming your way. Hope you like.**

**Cindy.**

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John sat on the end of the bed, watching his youngest son stare off into space, his usually expressive eyes void of any emotion. Sam had been slowly cutting himself off from everyone who loved him and John and his older sons were beside themselves with worry. They understood that Sam was scared and that he was dealing with some heavy issues but they didn't understand why he suddenly didn't want to talk to any of them. They didn't understand why he didn't want them to touch him. There was only one thing they could think of that would make Sam act the way he was acting, but they knew he hadn't been raped so they were at a loss.

"Unless…" John murmured to himself.

The door opening behind him prompted John to turn and he smiled lightly when Daniel and Dean walked in, greasy bags in hand. They both nodded then looked at Sam, concern immediately clouding their faces at their baby brother's blank stare.

"How is he?" Daniel queried as he set his paper bag on the tray table and moved to the side of the bed.

"The same. Won't look at me…won't talk to me," John answered sadly.

"What's going on Dad? You don't think…?" Dean asked warily.

"I don't know Dean. I just…if he won't talk to us, how can we know?" John asked desperately as he raked his fingers through his hair.

Daniel glanced at his father as he sat on the edge of the bed then he turned his attention back to Sam. He reached out to brush some hair from Sam's eyes but pulled back when his brother flinched away from his touch. He dropped his hands into his lap and stared sadly at his little brother.

"Sam…we're here to help kiddo. Don't shut us out. Please Sammy…whatever's going on…let us help you with it," Daniel pled softly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Sam continued to stare ahead, but then rolled his head to the side as tears suddenly spilled down his flushed cheeks. A small sob escaped his lips as he closed his eyes.

"I…I can't remember…I don't know what h-happened to me," Sam whispered, his words barely loud enough to be heard.

"What Sammy?" John asked worriedly.

Sam slowly turned toward his father and opened his eyes and for the first time in two days his eyes showed recognition. He glanced at his hands that sat clasped in his lap, his tears dropping silently to the blanket.

"I d-don't know if he…if he hurt me. I remember some of it, but…I just can't remember Dad…what if he did to me what he did to those other boys?" Sam said softly, his tears breaking his family's hearts all over again.

John stood and moved up the bed then sat down next to Sam. He took his baby's hands, refusing to let him pull them away. When Sam bowed his head, his hair hiding his eyes, John reached out and gently lifted Sam's chin until the boy was forced to look at him. He took a deep breath against the sorrow he felt at seeing the misery that shone in Sam's beautiful eyes then smiled warmly.

"Sam…he didn't hurt you that way," John said reassuringly.

"H-How do you know?" Sam queried, a slight glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

"Because Dr. Heely examined you and said there was no evidence that you had been…" John said, unable to say the dreaded word.

"He didn't hurt you that way Sammy. You need to trust us," Dean said.

Sam turned his attention to his older sibling. "Why can't I remember some things? Why can I remember being tortured but can't remember other things."

"Dr. Heely said you may have some memory loss due to some of the drugs you were given and from being shocked," Dean explained.

"So, he could have done other things…things that there would be no evidence of…"

"Sammy…I think if he didn't…if he didn't rape you, he didn't do any other things either. I think he wanted to hurt you…just not in that way," Daniel said, hoping he was right.

Sam nodded then glanced at his oldest brother. "I don't want to remember. Maybe I'm better off not knowing," he whispered.

"The thing that matters now is that you're safe and that we have you back with us. We'll deal with the rest of it Sammy. We're going to get you through this son," John said softly, giving Sam's hand a gentle squeeze.

Sam turned sad eyes to his father and suddenly lunged forward, his arms wrapping tightly around the surprised man's body. He buried his face in John's chest and sobbed as John's arms protectively encircled him. His brothers moved in close, their own tears threatening to spill as they listened to Sam's anguished cries.

"Shhh…it's okay Sam. You're okay now baby. You're safe now and we're going to keep you that way," John promised, praying that he could keep that promise.

John held Sam for quite some time until the boy's sobs finally ceased and his breathing evened out. Still holding the boy he moved him away from his body and smiled when he found Sam had fallen asleep. Being careful of Sam's IV lines, John gently lowered him to his pillows and pulled the blankets up over his chest. He smoothed the damp hair from Sam's eyes and leaned back then turned and looked at his older sons.

"Maybe it is better if he doesn't remember. I mean…what if…what if Wilcox did molest him. If he doesn't remember it, it's like it didn't happen," Dean said, his eyes resting on his younger brother's peaceful face.

"That's not really true Dean. It'll always be there in the back of his mind. At least if he…if we know for sure, we can help him. Besides, Dr. Heely said the memory loss would most likely be temporary. He's going to remember eventually," Daniel said quietly.

"Son of a bitch! I hate this!" Dean cried as he stormed to the window.

"Dean…easy. You're going to wake him," John said softly, sharing his son's anger.

"Sorry…I just hate that he has to go through all of this again," Dean said softly.

"He got through it before, he'll do it again," Daniel said.

"You're forgetting that this isn't over yet. Trenton Wilcox is still out there. He can't get over anything until that asshole is dead," Dean reminded his brother.

"I know that Dean. I haven't forgotten. That bastard isn't getting near Sam again," Daniel rebuffed.

"Doesn't mean he isn't gonna try. Sammy's scared out of his mind right now and the only thing that'll change that is Wilcox's death. Problem is, we have no idea where the prick is…" Dean stated.

"Well…that just ain't true," a new voice sounded from the doorway.

All three Winchester men jumped up and instinctively moved around Sam before they even became aware of who was at the door. They relaxed instantly when they saw Bobby standing there with a big grin on his face.

"Bobby…shit…you scared us," Dean shot, giving the man an irritated glare.

Bobby smirked then turned his attention to the sleeping figure in the hospital bed. "How's our boy doing? Any change?" he asked with concern.

"Well, he's talking again. He can't remember everything that happened. He thought Wilcox had…raped him," Daniel answered as his fingers played absently with the sleeve of Sam's hospital gown.

"Aw crap…you set him right didn't ya?" Bobby queried.

"Yeah, but he still thinks something could've happened that he doesn't remember. Hell, it could have. With as drugged up as Wilcox had him, he could've done anything and Sam wouldn't know," John said, anger giving his voice a menacing tone.

"Poor kid. I can't wait to catch that bastard!" Bobby spat.

"Yeah, well we gotta find him first and we haven't had much luck with that so far," Dean said.

"Our luck has changed boys," Bobby said with a grin.

"Did you find something?" John asked, his attention fully on Bobby now.

"Only the alias he's going by…his cell number and oh, yeah…the motel he's staying at right now," Bobby answered.

"What!? How'd you find all that out?" Daniel cried, sudden hope lightening his mood.

"I finally got in touch with his only friend from medical school. He gave me the name Wilcox used whenever they'd go out of town. I did some checking around and found that the warehouse was purchased under that alias. Caleb found his cell phone number and credit card records show he's staying in some crap motel two towns over. Caleb and Joshua are on their way there to stake it out," Bobby explained.

"Are you kidding? We're gonna finally take this bastard down? What're we waiting for!?" Dean cried as he snatched up his wallet and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Hold on Dean. We're not just gonna go in there guns blazing. We need to plan this out. We need to prepare the daggers…" John started.

"Daggers are done already. I'm just waiting for Caleb and Joshua to get back to me. Once they determine if he's there or not, we're ready to roll. This sucker's going down," Bobby said.

"Dad…this could all be over tonight. The sooner the better," Dean pled.

"We can't let him escape. If he does he's just going to be more furious and that'll be worse for Sam," John said hesitantly.

"He won't escape Dad. We'll all be there to take him down…" Dean started.

"N-No…don't leave me…p-please…" a soft whisper pled and all eyes turned to the now awake boy who lay on the bed.

"Sammy…we know where he is. We can end this," John said as he took Sam's hand.

"I d-don't want anyone to get h-hurt. N-not for me. Please Dad…" Sam said in a barely audible voice.

"We have to take care of him. Now is the best time. Your brother's are right. He may still be weak," John explained.

"You c-can just get m-me out of here and we can leave. Please…I-I don't want to lose anybody else."

"Sammy…we can't run from him. You and he are connected now. Once he gets to 100 percent, he'll be able to find you no matter where we take you," Daniel said, gently brushing his fingers up and down Sam's arm.

Tears once again trailed down Sam's cheeks as he nodded lightly. "Okay…I understand. You all better go. I-I'll be okay here."

"Sammy…we're not leaving you alone and unprotected. I'll stay here with you," Daniel said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Sam gazed up at his brother with thankful eyes and a small smile graced his lips. "Thank you Danny. I-I'm sorry I'm being such a baby…"

"You're not a baby Sam. You're stronger than all of us put together kiddo," John said proudly as he gently squeezed Sam's hand.

Sam smiled softly up at his father, his face suddenly glowing from the unexpected praise. He squeezed John's hand weakly and closed his eyes, falling instantly back to sleep. John raised Sam's hand and softly kissed it before lying it gently back at his side. He stood from the bed and turned his eyes on Daniel.

"You keep him safe Danny. If Wilcox is by chance here somewhere and realizes there's only one of us watching over Sam, he might try to make a move. Don't leave him for even a second," John commanded, his dark eyes flashing with intensity.

"I'm glued to his side Dad. Don't worry, Wilcox won't get near him," Daniel replied.

"Good. We're going to go to the house and get some things together. We'll check in when we can," John said, giving Sam one last glance before heading for the door.

Dean stepped up to the bed and stared down at his sleeping brother. He smiled softly as he brushed yet even more hair from Sam's eyes. He glanced up at his older brother and nodded before joining Bobby and John at the door.

"Be careful and make sure to get some shots in for me," Daniel said quietly so as not to wake Sam.

"You know it big brother. Take care of him," Dean replied.

Daniel nodded and watched as the three men left the room. He turned and stretched himself out on the edge of the bed then gently pulled Sam to him, draping a protective arm across the slumbering teens chest. He knew he should get up and sit in the chair but he felt an overwhelming need to be as close to his baby brother as possible. He needed to feel the warmth of his skin and hear the soft sigh of his breath as it escaped his lips. He wouldn't sleep. He needed to be alert. He pulled Sam even closer and settled in, praying that their nightmare would end that night.

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**That's it for tonight. More coming tomorrow. Have a good night all.**

**Cindy.**


	42. Chapter 42

**It's update time! So, will they get Wilcox? Read on to find out.**

**Cindy.**

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The rundown looking pickup pulled slowly up to within ten feet of the silent SUV, the occupants glancing over and nodding at the two faces that stared back at them. Bobby turned off the ignition and the passenger door opened, allowing first John, then Dean to exit. Bobby climbed from the drivers side and met his two friends as they walked to the rolled down window of the SUV. John reached the vehicle first and grasped the doorframe tightly, his eyes fixed on the face that looked out at him.

"He in there Josh?" John's gruff voice queried, his eyes intense and dangerous.

"Yep…been moving around quite a bit. The van's parked out back," Joshua replied evenly.

John turned his head and glared toward the only room where a light shown through the window. The drapes were slightly parted and he growled deep in his throat when he caught a glimpse of a dark haired person move past the opening. He cast a glance to Dean and Bobby then turned back to Joshua.

"You guys ready to take this mother out?" he questioned, his heart pounding a mad rhythm in his chest.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Joshua replied as he pushed the handle down to open the door.

John stepped back and allowed Joshua to exit then looked across the roof and nodded as Caleb's face came into view. Caleb came around the front of the SUV and stopped next to Bobby.

"Okay…give me the rundown," John said, his gaze landing on Caleb.

"Right…Wilcox appears to be the only motel guest at the moment, so that's good. He came out one time, looked around then went back in, so we have a positive ID on the bastard. We've just been watching him move around in his room since then. Other than that, the son of a bitch has been pretty quiet," Caleb answered, his fingers twitching at his eagerness to get the party started.

"Okay guys, we can't have any mistakes. If he gets away, he'll go right for Sam. He'll know there's only one person to protect him and both Sam and Danny will be in danger. We can't kill him with anything other than the daggers, but we can slow him down to get close enough to finish him off. If you have a shot, take it. It doesn't matter who takes him down, it only matters that he's dead," John instructed, glancing at each man to make sure they all understood.

"Here's his cell number," Joshua said as he passed a slip of paper to John.

John took the paper and nodded toward the motel room door. The men flanked the door, John and Joshua on one side, Dean, Bobby and Caleb on the other. John took out his phone and dialed the number from the slip of paper. They could hear a faint ringing from the room followed by the muffled voice of Sam's tormentor as he answered.

"Winchester…I was wondering when you would get your head outa' your ass. So…now you know how to reach me. Whatcha gonna do about it?" the voice carried to each man's ears and five minds were made up to tear the bastard to pieces.

"I'm going to make you regret you even dared to look at Sam you little prick!" John seethed over the phone.

"Ah yes, my little Sammy. Sweet, innocent, terrified Sammy. I can't wait to get ahold of him again…" Wilcox started, his breathing quickening as he spoke of the youngest hunter.

John's lip curled as he hissed into the phone. "You won't touch my son ever again. We know where you are. You will die tonight."

"We'll see…" Wilcox shot before the line went dead.

John glanced across the doorway at his son and friends, seeing the same fury in their eyes that he felt deep into his soul. They flinched when they heard the lock disengaging and readied themselves for the fight to come. The door opened and a tall, dark haired man took one step over the threshold before a fist slammed into his face, knocking him back into the room. The hunters flooded through the door, Caleb slamming it shut behind him. John and Dean had the man pinned to the wall in a flash and it took all of the hunters a moment to realize that the scared, bloodied face that stared back at them did not belong to Trenton Wilcox.

"What the fuck! Who the hell are you?" John screamed as he slammed the petrified man against the wall again.

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Trenton Wilcox pushed the end call button on his phone and shoved it into his pocket, an evil smile spreading across his face. He stared down at the bound man on the floor and let out a gleeful laugh. He reached down and dragged the man to his feet then shoved him onto the bed. He took out his pocket knife and cut through the duct tape that bound the man's feet and wrists. He pulled him up from the bed and shoved him towards the door.

"Get out of here," he hissed before rushing to a door in the wall by the bed.

Wilcox pushed the door open and slipped through, closing it just as his captive tore the other door open and stepped over the threshold. He stood silently for a moment as he listened to the ruckus from the other room. He rushed to the door of the room he was now in and slipped out into the night. He crept to the other door and reached down to the sidewalk next to it. He retrieved a long metal rod and slipped it across the doorway, attaching a clasp that hung from the rod to the doorknob. He smiled then slipped back into the other room and rushed to the door before pressing his ear to the wooden surface.

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"I asked who you were asshole! Answer me!" John shouted as he and Dean held the man firmly against the wall.

"I-I…my name's M-Mike Harris. That guy…he attacked me outside my work. I…I woke up here. I don't k-know what the hell is going on, but I don't have anything to do with it!" the terrified man answered, his dark eyes moving from one man to the other.

John and Dean looked at each other then pulled the man away from the wall. They still held his arms as they walked him toward the other confused hunters. All heads turned when the sound of a door opening drew their attention across the room. A sharp gasp from the captured man, followed by his knees buckling and him dropping to the floor had them turning to find that a large hunting knife now protruded from between his shoulder blades.

The two hunters lowered the gasping man to the floor as their friends rushed to them, their eyes fixed on the far wall. The man's gasps stopped and he fell still, his skin already beginning to cool.

"Dammit!" John hissed as he looked up to see Trenton Wilcox standing victoriously in the doorway, a canister of some sort clutched tightly in his hands.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean spat as he stood, his eyes boring holes through the hated man's head.

"Now, now Dean. That's not very nice. You didn't even know my mother. Although, I suppose she was a bitch. She did keep me from my father. I slit her throat for it…" Wilcox reprimanded, holding the canister out before him when Joshua and Caleb made a move toward him.

"What the hell is that?" Caleb shot out, his eyes locked on the canister and the pin the large man held between his fingers.

"You may well find out if you move any closer or make any kind of motion toward your weapons. Poor Sammy won't stand a chance if I use this and you are all out of the picture. I suppose Danny will try to stop me, but I already have him covered too," Wilcox answered as he slipped his finger through the loop at the end of the pin.

"You stay away from my boys!" John warned as he inched forward.

"No can do Johnny. Sam and I have some unfinished business. The little brat killed me for shits sake. I can't leave that unpunished," Wilcox retorted, a sly grin curling his lips.

"If you go near him, I'll tear you apart with my bare hands," Dean seethed, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"He's gonna come to me Dean. He and Danny, and you all are gonna be the ones to help me," Wilcox said as he pulled the pin on the canister and threw it into the room.

Wilcox stepped back out of the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. Inside the room the hunters scrambled for the room door as the room filled with a thick gaseous cloud. John was the first to the door and he pulled with all his strength, crying out when the door wouldn't budge. The men began coughing as the gas filled their lungs and their eyes watered as whatever chemical the gas was made up of stung the sensitive organs.

Caleb grabbed weakly for a chair to smash out the window but dropped to his knees instead as he was overcome by the chemical's effects. He glanced about the room to find his friends had all collapsed, their breaths coming in labored gasps just as his did. He fell to his chest on the floor and his eyes met John's as the older hunter struggled to gain his feet. John fell back to the floor and Caleb saw all the terror and anguish that played through the man's eyes. They had failed miserably and now Daniel was the only person who stood between Sam and a madman.

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Trenton Wilcox waited ten minutes before unlocking the door and pushing into the motel room. He smiled down at the bodies that littered the floor. He walked to where John lay and rolled the man over with his foot. He crouched down then dropped to his knees beside the prone hunter. He ran his fingers over John's stubbled face, his thumb brushing lightly over his lips.

"Oh Johnny, if I had more time I'd really like to play with you, but I have more important things to take care of. You've provided me the perfect opportunity to get my Sammy back," Wilcox whispered before standing and walking back to the adjoining room.

Wilcox hurried through the room and out into the cool night air. He removed the rod from the room door then rushed behind the building to retrieve his van. He pulled the van up to the front of the motel and backed it up to his room. He jumped out and opened the back doors wide before pushing the room door open. He began the task of loading each hunter into the van. He knew the men would be out for several hours so he didn't take the time to restrain them. He needed to get them back to the warehouse so he could plan how to get Daniel to bring Sam to him.

Once Wilcox had the five men loaded in the van he walked back into the room and retrieved a duffel bag from under the bed. He pulled out a can of lighter fluid and stepped into the adjoining room. He spurted the fluid around the room then backed into his room. He stopped and pulled a matchbox from his pocket, retrieved a match then lit it. He tossed the lit match into the room and smiled as flames erupted immediately. Backing through his room towards the door, he soaked the room, including the dead man. He stepped through the door and tossed the can into the room. He pulled another match from the box, struck it and tossed the burning stick into the room.

Wilcox shut the door then turned and eyed the unconscious men in his van. He slammed the doors shut and hurried to the front of the van then pulled the driver's door open. He climbed behind the wheel and started the engine then put the van into drive. He glanced in his side mirror and grinned as he saw the flames devour the drapes in his room. He turned his attention through the windshield and pressed the gas pedal, quickly leaving the burning motel behind.

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Daniel paced Sam's hospital room, his eyes flitting nervously from his sleeping brother to the cell phone he held in his hand. John, Dean and Bobby had walked out of the room twenty four hours ago and Daniel had not heard a word from them since John called to say that he and Dean would be riding with Bobby and would be dropping the Impala off at the hospital, the keys tucked neatly into their hiding spot. He had tried each hunter's cell phone and had been unable to reach any of the five men who were supposed to by now have taken Trenton Wilcox out.

The fact that he could not reach any of them and that none of them had called him led Daniel to one conclusion. They had failed to kill Wilcox and were either dead or incapacitated. That meant that it was up to him to protect Sam. He remembered the last time he had been left to protect his baby brother. He'd ended up with a lump on his head and Sam had ended up in that rundown shack with Michael Wilcox. He'd nearly lost his brother that night and he vowed that he would not let history repeat itself this time around.

Daniel collapsed into the plastic chair beside Sam's bed, suddenly overcome with worry and grief. He glanced up at the sleeping boy and thought that he may be looking at his last remaining family. Tears filled his eyes as he thought about what this would do to Sam. Sam would drown in his grief and misplaced guilt as he would certainly blame himself if they truly had lost their family. Daniel was overwhelmed as he realized he would never get his brother back if his worst fears came to be true. Sam would never recover.

The sudden trill of his phone caused Daniel to jump in his seat and he gaped down at the name on the caller ID.

"Dad…" he whispered urgently as he punched the answer button. "Dad…what the hell? Where are…"

"Your daddy can't came to the phone right now Daniel. He's a bit tied up at the moment," came Trenton Wilcox's hateful voice over the line.

Daniel stood and turned his back to Sam, swallowing down his fear. "You better not have hurt any of them you bastard…" he warned into the phone.

"Your family and friends are just fine. For now. How long they'll remain that way is completely up to you Danny boy," Wilcox spat cruelly.

Daniel sagged against the end of Sam's bed, his legs shaking as his heart pounded painfully in his chest.

"Where are they? What've you done with them?" he asked warily.

"What've I done with them? They attacked me in my motel room for no reason and I merely protected myself. Now we need to discuss a few things," Wilcox replied.

"What do you want?" Daniel queried sharply.

"You know what I want. A simple trade Danny boy. Sam for the rest of your family."

"You're joking. You seriously think I'd hand my brother over to you?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"If you want to see the rest of your family alive you will. It's a fair trade Daniel. One sad, pathetic little brat for five men. Seems a no brainer to me," Wilcox answered.

"You're crazy. How do I know they're even alive?" Daniel spat.

He heard shuffling on the other end of the line followed by muffled cursing then a familiar, gruff voice came on and Daniel's hands tightened around the phone.

"Dan, don't listen to him. Take Sam away and keep him safe…" John's voice called before being ubruptly halted.

"See Danny, alive and kicking. Now, you can try to hide Sammy from me but it won't do you any good. I'll find him no matter where you take him. He belongs to me and I mean to get him back. It's up to you how that happens. You have three days. You come to me and we do the exchange, you get your family minus one. I come to you, you lose them all. You know where to find me. Three days Danny. Clocks ticking…"

"You son of a bitch!" Daniel cried but was met with dead air.

Daniel looked despairingly at the phone then turned slowly, nearly dropping the phone when he discovered Sam sitting up in bed, his bandaged feet dangling just above the floor. He was slightly hunched over and in obvious pain but he had a look of determination on his face that took Daniel by surprise.

"Sammy…what're you doing kiddo? Get back in bed," Daniel said as he rushed to his brother's side.

"Does h-he have them D-Danny? D-Does Wilcox have them?" Sam queried, his wide eyes pleading with his brother for the truth.

"Yes Sammy…he has them," Daniel answered, his voice cracking.

"He wants m-me for them doesn't h-he?"

"Sam…he isn't gonna get near you. He…" Daniel started.

"No…he is. Me for them Danny. It's the only choice. Me for them…" Sam said softly.

"Sam…no. We'll get them back. I won't let him have you," Daniel answered, taking Sam's face in his hands and forcing the boy to look at him.

Sam looked up, his sad eyes moist with unshed tears. He nodded lightly before speaking. "Okay Danny…but if it c-comes down to m-me or them…I won't l-let you choose me," he whispered.

Daniel pressed his forehead lightly against Sam's and swallowed the lump in his throat. He blinked back tears as the stress of the past day caught up with him. He moved one hand to cup the back of Sam's head, ever careful of the horrific injury there, then brought his lips up to lovingly kiss Sam's chocolate hair.

"I love you so much Sammy. Please don't make me choose between you or them. I can't lose any of you. We'll get them back and we'll kill Wilcox. I won't let him have you Sammy. I won't…"

Sam squeezed his eyes shut and leaned into his brother, seeking the safety and comfort of his touch. A myriad of emotions washed over him and the tears he had held at bay finally were set free. He wouldn't make Daniel choose. Couldn't do that to his beloved brother. No, when the time came, if the time came, he would do what needed to be done. The world could survive without him, but too many people depended on his family. His mind made up, Sam nodded and allowed Daniel to wrap him in a protective hug. This was his chance to repay his family for all they had sacrificed for him. This was his chance to save them for a change.

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**Hmmmm...wonder what Sam is planning. More later tonight.**

**Cindy.**


	43. Chapter 43

**Here it is. Things get a bit crazy in this chapter. I hope you're ready.**

**Cindy.**

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Trenton Wilcox watched as John finished tying the ropes that bound Joshua to the chair he sat in. His gaze swept over the other bound hunters and landed on the empty chair next to Dean. He motioned for John to sit then placed the barrel of his gun up to Dean's temple. John glared at the man and took a seat.

"Okay Johnny, take the other ropes and tie your ankles to the chair," Wilcox instructed.

John grunted through his gag and leaned over, picked up a length of rope and tied his right ankle to the chair then did the same with his left. Once he was done, he grabbed the last length of rope and sat up, glaring to his right at the man who held them hostage.

"Very good," Wilcox said as he moved behind John. "Now, slip your hand through the chair back."

John did as instructed and Wilcox took the length of rope from his hand and proceeded to tie John's wrists together. Once he was done he moved in front of the men and paced in front of them. He smiled down at them as they glared up at him.

"All we do now is wait. It shouldn't be too long before Danny boy brings little Sammy to me," Wilcox said, laughing when Dean vigorously shook his head. "What? You don't think he'll bring him? Do you think he'd rather lose all of you? Why do you all value that little sh*t so much? He's nothing…worthless."

Wilcox turned and walked to a covered window, peering through a crack in the wood that covered it. His body trembled with anticipation. Soon he would have Sam back, he was sure of that, and this time he would do everything the boy feared the most and he would do it right in front of the boy's family. He would hurt Sam like he'd never been hurt before and then he would squeeze the life from him then he would leave his body at his family's feet. He would be long gone before any of the men could get free.

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"Daniel, I can't let you take Sam out of the hospital. He's still too sick," Dr. Heely said, his eyes watching Daniel closely.

"Look doc, I understand but, I can't leave him here. My family is in danger and I have to go find them," Daniel explained.

"Sam will be safe here. I'll post security at his door. No one will get to him," Dr. Heely assured.

"That's not what I'm afraid of doc. I'm afraid of Sam getting past the guards and nurses and then he'll be out there all alone. You've seen that he's capable of it," Daniel replied.

"I'm sorry Daniel. I can't release him. He's underage and you aren't his parent so you can't sign him out AMA," Dr. Heely said as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Actually, I am Sam's legal guardian. So is Dean. When we came of age, Dad made sure we had guardianship in case anything happened to him. I am legally able to sign him out AMA," Daniel said evenly.

"Daniel, Sam is still so ill. He needs to be in the hospital," Dr. Heely pled.

"I know doc, I know. As soon as my family is safe, we'll bring him back here. I promise," Daniel said.

Dr. Heely shook his head and looked toward Sam's door. He turned back to Daniel and nodded. "I'll get the papers ready. You'll be okay to take him in about an hour."

"Thanks doc. I really appreciate this," Daniel said with a small smile.

"Just take care of him Daniel. He can't take anymore abuse," Dr. Heely said sternly.

"I will doc. I'll guard him with my life," Daniel replied.

"I know you will," Dr. Heely said then turned and hurried down the hall.

Daniel watched the doctor disappear around the corner then turned and pushed Sam's door open and slipped into his room. His eyes immediately went to his brother and he smiled as Sam's eyes followed him as he moved across the room.

"Let's get you ready to go Sam. Dr. Heely is getting your release papers together," Daniel said as he stepped up to the bed.

Sam nodded and pushed up from the bed. With Daniel's help he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Daniel walked to the cupboard and pulled out a duffel bag that Bobby had brought from their house. He pulled out a button down shirt, tee shirt and jeans. Next the pulled out boxers, socks and sneakers. He carefully helped Sam out of his hospital gown but sighed when he realized he wouldn't be able to get Sam's shirts on with the IV's still in Sam's hand. He looked around then grasped Sam's hand and pulled the tape that held the IV's in place away. Once the tape was gone he carefully pulled the needles from Sam's hand. Sam winced slightly then smiled softly up at his brother.

"Sorry Sammy," Daniel whispered as he grabbed a tissue and pressed it over the bleeding punctures in Sam's hand.

Daniel found a bandaid and pressed it over the wound then grabbed the tee shirt and pulled it over Sam's head. Ten minutes later and Sam was fully dressed. Daniel pushed his sneakers onto his feet and tied the laces then stood and sat on the bed next to Sam. He put his arm around his brother's shoulders and pulled him gently to his side. Sam rested his head on Daniel's shoulder and sighed.

"We're going to get them back aren't we Danny?" Sam whispered tiredly.

"Yes Sam, we're gonna get them back. We're gonna kill Trenton Wilcox and we're gonna move past all of this," Daniel replied.

"I don't know if I can Danny. I see him every time I close my eyes. He and Michael Wilcox. I'd stopped dreaming about…him…until this happened and now…he's there every time I sleep," Sam confessed softly.

"God Sam…I'm sorry kiddo. You will get past this. With our help. Once Wilcox is dead you'll be able to move on. I promise," Daniel whispered as he pulled Sam closer.

Sam smiled and closed his eyes. Without even realizing he'd fallen asleep, Sam was shaken awake by his brother.

"Come on Sammy, let's go get our family back."

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Daniel shut down the headlights as he pulled through the trees surrounding the warehouse. He pulled the Impala beside the building and shut off the ignition. Sam stared at the building in fear and Daniel reached across the seat and patted his shoulder reassuringly. Sam glanced at his brother and smiled softly.

"You stay here Sam. Keep the doors locked. If you see Wilcox, you start that engine and get the hell out of here," Daniel instructed.

"No Danny…I'm coming with you," Sam replied defiantly.

"Sammy…it's too dangerous," Daniel said.

"I'll just follow you Danny," Sam replied.

"Son of a bitch," Daniel whispered under his breath. "Fine Sam, but when we get in there, you are hiding. No arguments kiddo," Daniel commanded.

"Okay…fine, I'll hide. We better go," Sam replied softly.

Daniel reached into the back seat and retrieved the duffel bag John had left in the Impala for him. He pulled out two pistols and the last two silver daggers. He handed Sam a pistol and a dagger and both Winchesters checked to make sure the magazines were loaded on the guns before exiting the car. Sam slipped the dagger down the back of his jeans and followed Daniel as he slunk through the shadows beside the building.

Daniel found an open window and helped Sam climb through then pulled himself through right after. He grabbed Sam's arm to steady him and searched for a hiding place for the boy. He found several barrels stacked near a wall and helped his weakened sibling behind them.

"Stay here and keep quiet," Daniel whispered as he looked down at his pale brother.

Sam nodded and clutched his gun to his chest. He watched as Daniel hurried away and he prayed for his family to be okay. Daniel crept toward the direction of the main area of the warehouse and he pulled up short when he turned a corner and saw his family lined up near the far wall. Each was tied to a chair and gagged. He rushed toward them but stopped when they all started to frantically shake their heads. Daniel caught movement out of the corner of his eye and ducked just as Trenton Wilcox struck out at him. He turned and fired at the advancing man, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him backwards.

"Where's Sammy?" Wilcox queried as he recovered his balance and lunged at his adversary.

Daniel fired again but his shot went wide and he cried out when Wilcox slammed into him and knocked him to the floor. Daniel lost his grip on his gun and reached behind his back and pulled out the dagger. Wilcox laughed as he grabbed Daniel's wrist and twisted it painfully. He wrenched the dagger from Daniel's hand then pulled the smaller man up from the floor. Daniel could hear his family's panicked grunts and cast a quick glance their way before Wilcox spun him around and pressed the knife against his throat.

"Where's Sammy, Daniel?" he hissed near Daniel's ear.

"He's not here," Daniel replied.

"Yes he is. I can sense he's near," Wilcox said, then he called out, his voice echoing through the warehouse. "Come out Sammy or your brother dies!"

Wilcox watched the shadows for movement as he pressed the knife to Daniel's neck. "Okay Sammy, you coward…now your brother dies," he called as the blade pressed deeper.

"Let him go!" a weak voice called from the shadows, before Sam's form limped into view, his gun held out before him and trained on his enemy.

The bound hunters eyes widened as they looked upon their youngest member. They turned their eyes on Wilcox and Daniel and saw the fury in Wilcox's eyes. Wilcox growled as he pressed the knife harder into the tender flesh of Daniel's neck. A thin line of blood formed where the sharp blade made contact and Sam winced at the sight. The other hunters could only stare in horror from where they were bound at the showdown playing out before them. Sam narrowed his eyes and took a step closer, the gun in his hands never straying even a fraction of an inch from his target.

"You can't kill me Sammy," Wilcox taunted. "Now, put the gun down or I'll slit your brother's throat. It'll be one more death to add to the list of people who died because of you, you filthy little fuck!"

"Let my family go and you can have me. Hurt them anymore and I will kill you…" Sam hissed as he took another step forward.

"S-Sammy…no…" Daniel whispered, his eyes wide with fear for his baby brother.

Behind Wilcox and Daniel, the other men struggled to free themselves. Although they hadn't been bound as tightly as they could have been, they were still having trouble loosening the ropes. The gags in their mouths prevented them from calling out to their other two family members, muffled rantings being the only noise they could make.

"It's okay Danny. I know what I have to do. I have to make sure no one else I love dies because of me," Sam said, his eyes locked on Wilcox.

"N-Not because of you Sam…" Daniel cried softly.

"Shut up!" Wilcox demanded as he pulled Daniel tighter against his chest.

Suddenly, to everyone's extreme horror and surprise, Sam's gun was no longer pointed at Wilcox. Daniel let out an agonized sob as Sam leveled the gun at his own temple, his hand shaking visibly, his eyes wild. The bound hunter's struggles increased tenfold at this new and most frightening turn of events. Sam's voice, now steady and confident, stilled all movements.

"You've wanted to kill me for how long now? Ever since your dad died right?" Sam queried, his eyes boring into Wilcox.

"Sammy…please…" Daniel started, the knife pressing deeper, silencing him.

"What'cha doing Sam? You don't have the guts to kill yourself so why not stop all the dramatics?" Wilcox hissed.

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't. Are you sure you want to find out? You don't just want me dead. You want to be the one to end me. You want to be the cause of my death remember?" Sam goaded, a slight smile on his face.

"What're you trying to prove Sammy? If you're dead, you're dead. Makes no difference to me how you get there," Wilcox replied, his eyes flitting nervously to the gun pressed to Sam's temple before once again meeting the young hunter's gaze.

"Yes it does and you know it. You told me yourself that you wanted to see the light go out in my eyes as you killed me. Won't be the same if I kill myself…" Sam said.

"Like I said, you don't have the guts."

Sam moved his finger to the trigger and every other person in the room flinched. Wilcox's heart raced in his chest and Sam could clearly see the panic in his eyes. Sam smiled coldly and cocked his head slightly.

"And I said…are you sure you want to find out. If you don't let my brother go, I will shoot myself and you'll lose your chance for revenge. Let him go and I'll leave with you and you can do whatever you want with me," Sam said, his voice cold and emotionless.

Daniel's eyes widened and he could hear his family's struggles behind him. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he stared in shock at his baby brother.

"Sammy…please…don't do this," he pled.

"It's okay Danny. It's the only way for you all to be safe. It's what I have to do," Sam replied, the coldness in his eyes replaced with pure love.

"Awww, how sweet. Now Sammy, how do I know you're telling the truth? Why should I believe that you'll go with me?" Wilcox queried nervously.

"You can't afford not to believe me. If you're wrong and it turns out I do have the guts, you'll lose your chance to kill me yourself. Are you willing to take that chance?" Sam asked evenly.

Wilcox said nothing as he stared into Sam's cold, hazel eyes. What he saw there made him believe that Sam could shoot himself and would make good on his threat. All eyes were locked on Sam as his finger pushed slightly on the trigger of the gun. Sam never blinked as he stared Wilcox down, ignoring the imploring gazes of his loved ones. Without warning, Wilcox threw Daniel out of his way, the young man stumbling and falling, his head hitting the floor with a sickening crack. Daniel groaned and tried to sit up, but pain and dizziness kept him from his task.

Sam started with concern, his eyes falling to Daniel, relief washing over him as he saw his brother moving. He lifted his gaze once more to Wilcox and began to back away toward the door of the warehouse. Wilcox stepped forward, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Lower the gun Sam," he snarled angrily.

"Not until we're completely clear of my family," Sam replied, his free hand reaching behind him as he neared the door.

"Oh, the things I'm gonna do to you…" Wilcox said, a cold smile curling his lips.

Sam pushed the door open with his backside and backed out into the cool night air, his fingers on his free hand reaching behind his back to feel his way as he kept his eyes on Wilcox. The bound hunters stared on in panic as they worked frantically on their bindings. Daniel worked his way onto his hands and knees as he pushed the nausea that was rising in him down. Without warning his vision went black and he dropped back to the floor, his body succumbing to the dark abyss. The panic of the men turned to full blown hysteria when Wilcox stepped through the warehouse door, the slam of the heavy door echoing through the building as it crashed closed behind him.

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**Okay, let me have it. I deserve it. What the freakin' frick is the kid thinking? And what exactly has happened to all of those seasoned hunters? Have they forgotten the basic rules of hunting? Have they all lost their minds? Please let me know what you think. More coming tomorrow.**

**Cindy.**


	44. Chapter 44

**Alright, you all have waited long enough. Here is the next chapter. I have decided that since there are only three chapters left, including this one, that I will finish this story out today. I hope that works for everyone. Now, I know that it seems the Winchesters and their extended family are seriously lacking in the hunting department lately. Rookie mistakes and just plain not thinking. I just think that this whole ordeal has weighed heavily on them all and with what they have been through, they kind of have tunnel vision. They can only see and focus on one thing and that is getting Wilcox and punishing him severely. Problem is, they are leaving themselves and more worryingly, Sam open for attack. Wilcox is a smart guy. Hopefully this nightmare will end and they can all take inventory of what they did wrong. Now, on to the story.**

**Cindy.**

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Sam continued to back away as Wilcox stepped through the doorway, the door slamming shut with a resounding bang. Wilcox smiled and Sam shuddered involuntarily at the evil he saw in the crazed man's eyes. Sam pulled his fingers away from the dagger he had hidden in the waistband of his jeans, suddenly changing his plan to try and kill the man here. What if he failed? He'd failed to kill Michael Wilcox and he and his family had nearly paid the highest price. He couldn't take that chance again. He needed to get Trenton Wilcox far away from the warehouse so that if he did fail, his family had time to escape their restraints before the man returned to kill them.

"We're clear Sammy…put the gun down. You shoot yourself now, I'll turn right around and go take out your entire family," Wilcox hissed vehemenantly.

Sam stared at Wilcox, but did not lower his gun. "Move away from the building first. In fact, where's your van?"

"What? What do we need my van for?" Wilcox queried.

"We're gonna get in your van and you're gonna drive us far away from here. Only then will I give you the gun," Sam replied.

Wilcox stood and gaped at the boy before him. He couldn't help but be impressed by the kid's bravery. He was willing to sacrifice himself for his family knowing what was most likely going to happen to him. Wilcox shook his head and smiled. "Fine…it's around the corner," he said.

Wilcox followed as Sam continued to back away in the direction of the van, the gun still pressed firmly to his temple. Although Sam had contemplated shooting Wilcox outside the warehouse door then stabbing him with the dagger, he had decided not to take that chance. Daniel had shot the man and it had barely fazed him. Sam could not gamble with his family's safety. He would get the man far away, then attempt to kill him. If he failed, his family would at least be able to hunt the monster down and kill him. At least they would be safe.

Once they reached the van, Sam stepped carefully to the passenger door and climbed in, sitting on the seat, his body turned toward the driver's seat. Wilcox climbed in and started the van all the while glaring at the defiant teenager. He backed out from beside the building and sped off down the road, a cloud of dust left floating in his wake.

Wilcox drove for twenty minutes before he'd finally had enough. He pulled the van off the road, taking a barely there trail into the forest. After driving some one hundred feet in he stopped the van and shut down the engine. He turned to glare at Sam, amazed at the calm teenager his eyes fell upon.

"Get in the back…" Wilcox demanded. "Now!"

Sam scooted over the seat then backed up between the seats into the back of the van. Wilcox reached out and suddenly hit the gun from Sam's hand, sending it flying into the passenger seat. Sam, in his crouched position tumbled backwards onto his back as Wilcox scrambled between the seats. Sam quickly regained his upright position and backed up until he hit the back doors of the van. He crouched down, eyeing Wilcox as he shuffled forward.

"Take your clothes off Sammy," Wilcox instructed coldly.

"What?" Sam replied, his voice trembling slightly.

"I said take your clothes off. I decided I didn't care if you're a kid. I want you to feel as much pain and humiliation as possible before you die. Now take them off," Wilcox hissed.

Sam straightened as much as he could and glared defiantly at the animal before him, then he smiled.

"If you want my clothes off, you're gonna have to take them off of me yourself," he spat.

"Ahhh…even better. More fun for me," Wilcox answered then suddenly lunged forward.

Sam was ready for the move and jumped sideways, Wilcox ramming into his shoulder rather then square in the chest. Sam grunted as pain shot through his shoulder but he righted himself and turned on Wilcox. He wrapped his arm around the larger man's neck and squeezed with all his strength. He didn't quite know where the strength came from but surmised it must be adrenaline. Wilcox tried to pull Sam off, but he couldn't get a good hold on the boy so he flung himself back, smashing Sam into the side of he van. Sam gasped as the wind was knocked out of him and he lost his grip on his attacker.

Wilcox spun and grabbed Sam as he tumbled toward the floor, pulling him up and slamming him into the side of the van again. Sam sagged against the strong hands that held him as he gasped for air. Wilcox grabbed Sam's face roughly with one hand and pulled it toward him until their faces were just a few inches apart.

"If you're going to play with the big boys Sammy, be prepared for some rough play," he hissed.

Wilcox tore Sam from the wall and slammed him to the carpeted floor of the van. He straddled Sam's hips and laughed down at the boy as Sam hit at him, his blows ineffectual in his dazed state. Wilcox grabbed Sam's face again and pulled it up then slammed his head into the floor. Sam's arms fell limply to the floor as the blow stunned him to near unconsciousness. He groaned as he rolled his head to the side, his barely open eyes seeing nothing but stars.

Wilcox grabbed the bottom of Sam's top shirt and yanked it open, the popping buttons pinging as they hit the metal sides of the van. Next, he took out his pocket knife and cut through Sam's tee shirt, then ripped it open until Sam's chest was laid bare. He ran trembling fingers over the bite mark he had left over the top of his father's and smiled when Sam whimpered at his touch.

Wilcox stared down at the helpless boy, his hand reaching up to grab his unruly hair. He pulled Sam's head around to face him then leant over and pressed his lips to Sam's. The kiss was rough and painful and Sam cried out as he began to climb back toward awareness. Wilcox pulled roughly at Sam's hair, yanking his head to the side to reveal the tender flesh of Sam's neck. He attacked Sam's throat with fervor, biting into the skin and leaving red marks as he moved lower.

The hand not holding Sam's hair moved down Sam's chest and over his stomach before beginning to fumble with boy's belt buckle. Sam began to struggle as feeling returned to his limbs, but Wilcox had him effectively pinned beneath his larger and heavier body. Sam frantically began to fumble with his hand across the floor in an attempt to find anything to use as a weapon. Sam's fingers fell over something cold and hard just as Wilcox unfastened his belt and began on the button of his jeans. Wilcox moved back to Sam's lips just as Sam's fingers wrapped around the object he prayed would be his salvation.

Sam felt his jeans button pop and his zipper slide down just as he crashed the object he found as hard as he could into Wilcox's skull. The large man grunted in shock as he fell to the side and Sam scrambled across the floor, a wave of nausea hitting him as he backed up against the back doors once again. Sam swallowed against the bile that rose in his throat as Wilcox rose to his knees. Blood ran from a gash above the man's temple and he glared at Sam with murderous intent.

"I'm going to rip your intestines out of your body with my bare hands and stuff them down your fucking throat you little piece of shit!" the demented man snarled.

Sam continued to stare the man down as he reached behind his back, his fingers failing to find what he was searching for. His eyes shot to the floor in a panic as he tried to find his lost weapon in the darkened van. His eyes found a glint in the filtered moonlight and Sam lunged for it just as Wilcox made his move. One hand closed around the silver dagger and instantly the two adversaries were wrestling for control, the larger man seeming to get the upper hand as Sam was once again slammed into the van doors.

One hand came up with dagger and thrust the knife forward in a deadly arc, burying the blade deep into flesh, muscle and bone. A strangled cry sounded as one body fell, bringing the other body down with it.

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Dean was the first to finally break free from his bonds, and he sprinted to the warehouse doors, pulling the gag from his mouth then flinging the door open and rushing through as Sam's name was screamed out into the dark. Dean looked frantically for his brother, his heart in his throat when Sam didn't answer his screams.

"Sammy…no…Stupid kid," Dean cried, his eyes scanning the trees. "Please be okay Sam. Just hold on little brother. We're coming for you."

Dean hesitantly turned and hurried back into the warehouse, running across the floor back to his family. Caleb was now free and helping Daniel up from the floor. Dean stepped behind the remaining hunters and began to untie his father's hands. Once John was free, he reached up and pulled his gag down. He turned his head around, his questioning eyes searching Dean's face.

"Sammy?" he asked, his voice raspy from screaming into the gag.

Dean slowly shook his head, his eyes glistening. "He's gone…"

Daniel cried out in anguish and ran unsteadily to the door. Dean watched as John took off after his older brother then moved to work on Bobby's ropes while Caleb freed Joshua. The four hunters rushed from the warehouse and joined John and Daniel, their hearts breaking as they watched John drape a comforting arm across Daniel's shaking shoulders.

"He's gone Dad and this time we're not getting him back. This is my fault…I should have listened to Dr. Heely and left him at the hospital. I…I killed my little brother…" Daniel sobbed as John pulled him into a strong embrace.

"You don't know that Danny. It's not your fault. If you had come alone and Wilcox succeeded in killing us, Sam would be all alone," John comforted, his eyes falling on Dean as the middle brother stepped up to his family.

"He gave himself to that monster to save us…Oh God Dad…he's been gone over an hour…he could already be dead…" Daniel cried miserably.

"Shhh…no Dan…we'll find him and he'll be okay," Dean soothed, not believing his words even as he spoke them.

"I could have done something. I should have done something," Daniel whispered.

"You couldn't have Daniel. Wilcox would have slit your throat," John said softly.

"Better me than Sam…" Daniel replied.

"Daniel…don't…" John warned as his heart broke for the hundredth time.

The distant sound of an engine broke through the relative quiet of the night and a faint glow from headlights could be seen some distance down the road. Bobby, Caleb and Joshua ran back into the warehouse to retrieve their confiscated weapons and rushed back out to their three comrades.

The six hunters took up their arms and waited for the vehicle to arrive. It took a few minutes and the hunters raised their weapons when Wilcox's gray van pulled up to within twenty feet from where they stood. The van's ignition was turned off but the lights remained on as the driver's door opened and a figure emerged.

The six men squinted against the bright headlights as they worriedly watched the figure shuffle towards them. The men gasped as the figure became visible and all rushed forward as Sam staggered a few steps before his knees buckled and he began to fall. John reached Sam first and caught him in his strong arms before he hit the dirt. John lowered the trembling boy gently to the ground then softly grasped his chin and pulled his face up so he could see his eyes. Sam stared upon his father's face and tears of relief began to flow. Dean and Daniel surrounded their father and brother, their hands resting on Sam's arms.

Dean began to speak softly and Sam turned toward his brother, "Sammy…what happened?"

Sam blinked more tears from his eyes and rested his head tiredly back against his father's shoulder. He began to speak but could only manage a painful sounding croak. Clearing his throat, he began again.

"Wilcox…dead. He's in the van," Sam whispered, his eyes closing as he sank further against John.

Bobby, Joshua and Caleb rushed to the back of the van while John and the boys stayed with Sam. A few minutes later they came back and John looked up at them expectantly. Bobby nodded his head and rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin.

"The kid did it Johnny. He nailed the son of a bitch right through the heart," the grizzled hunter said with wonder and respect.

All eyes turned to Sam who groggily opened his eyes. He began to shiver and John noticed for the first time his ruined tee shirt that hung from his thin body. John wrapped his arms tightly around his trembling son and pulled him closer to his chest.

"Can you stand kiddo?" he asked softly and Sam turned his eyes upward to fall upon John's face.

Sam nodded and grasped the hands that reached out for him. Holding onto his brother's hands and with his father's support behind him, Sam stood on wobbly legs and attempted to take a step. Daniel's alarmed look made him stop and he followed his brother's gaze down. Sam's jeans were still unfastened and unzipped and he let out a soft cry when he sensed all eyes on him again. Daniel reached out and lifted Sam's chin, his smile warm and loving as he spoke to his baby brother.

"Sammy? Did he…did he touch you? Did he…" Daniel asked fearfully.

Sam's eyes welled again and he shook his head slowly. His voice was soft and barely audible and the men who surrounded him leaned in so they could catch his words.

"N-No…he…he tried but I…I stopped him."

Dean reached down and fastened Sam's jeans and buckle then John hugged Sam closer and began to walk forward, nudging his son along reassuringly. Dean and Daniel flanked John and all three whispered words of encouragement to the trembling boy. Once they reached the Impala, John helped Sam into the backseat and Daniel immediately climbed in beside him. He put his arm around the boy's shoulder and pulled him to his side, whispering in his ear the whole time. Sam rested his head on Daniel's shoulder and closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds.

John opened the trunk and pulled a heavy blanket out then handed it to Dean. Dean climbed into the backseat on the other side of Sam and wrapped the blanket around his exhausted and sleeping sibling. He leaned over and kissed Sam gently on the side of his head then leaned back against the seat, his eyes never straying from Sam. John talked to his friends for a few minutes then climbed into the Impala and started the engine. He watched Sam, shaking his head slightly when the boy didn't even flinch at the loud rumble of the car as it roared to life. He turned his eyes forward after making eye contact with his older sons.

"Let's take Sammy back," he said as he put the car into reverse and backed out from where it had been parked. He put the car in drive and pulled away from the hated warehouse.

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**So, two more to go. I hope you enjoyed kickass Sammy. You can all take a deep breath of relief. Please let me know what you think. More coming later.**

**Cindy.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Boy, were almost to the end. What a long, crazy journey! I hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

**Cindy.**

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The Impala rumbled up to the hospital ER entrance and stopped, the rumble dying away as the ignition was cut. The driver's door opened at the same time the rear passenger side door opened. John stepped to the rear door behind the driver's door and pulled it carefully open, not wanting to startle or awaken his youngest son. Dean met him at the door and both men watched as Daniel scooted out the door, gently pulling his baby brother with him. Once Daniel was free from the seat he reached in and scooped Sam into his arms, backed out of the car and pulled the exhausted, sleeping boy to his chest. John rearranged the blanket so it covered Sam then the three men headed into the hospital with their precious bundle where they knew Dr. Heely would be waiting for them.

Beside the fact that Daniel had promised to bring Sam back to the hospital, the three Winchesters were concerned about any new injuries their youngest family member may have received. His collapse at the warehouse had frightened them immensely so there was no way they were taking Sam anywhere but back to Dominican Hospital and Dr. Heely. John had called ahead and had spoken with Dr. Heely so the man knew somewhat what to expect. The doctor stood by the reception desk, his arms folded over his chest, a stern look on his face when the men walked through the doors. He immediately stepped up to them and pressed his hand to Sam's sweaty forehead.

"He's burning up," the doctor commented, his brow furrowed in worry. "What the hell happened?"

"It's a long story doc. Can we just get him taken care of first? Please?" Dean replied, his voice filled with concern and impatience.

"Fine. Just put him on this gurney then take a seat over th…" the doctor started, halting at the looks he received from the three men. "Or…why don't you just bring him to the exam room and you can observe while I examine him," Dr. Heely suggested, knowing he would never succeed in separating the men from the boy right now.

The three hunters smiled tiredly and followed Dr. Heely through the swinging doors that led to the examination rooms. Dr. Heely led them into one of the larger rooms and was soon met by two nurses. Daniel gently set Sam on the gurney in the room and with Dean's help, pulled the blanket from around the slowly stirring boy. Dr. Heely raised an eyebrow at the condition of Sam's shirts, but said nothing.

"We need to get his clothes off so I can examine him," the doctor stated, chuckling lightly when the Winchester men blocked the nurses from performing the task.

Daniel lifted Sam's torso from the gurney and as he held him up, Dean began to carefully remove his shirts while John moved to his feet and removed his shoes and socks. Dean sucked in a breath when he pulled Sam's tee shirt free and his father, brother and Dr. Heely stepped to the head of the gurney, the men instantly filled with anger at seeing the fresh array of bruises that covered Sam's back.

"D-Dad?" a soft voice whispered and Daniel gently laid Sam back down, his face sporting a warm smile despite his anger.

"Hey Sammy. How you doing kiddo?" he asked softly, his hand grasping Sam's lightly.

"Ummm…m'kay…" Sam answered tiredly as he glanced groggily around at each man who hovered over him.

John took his other hand and smiled when soft hazel eyes rested on him. "Hey there baby…why don't you go back to sleep. We've gotcha' covered Sam," he said, his eyes welling at his relief to have his son back.

"'k Daddy…" Sam whispered as his eyes closed and he once more went lax.

"So…those bruises…what happened?" Dr. Heely queried as he watched John work on removing Sam's jeans.

"Wilcox got him again. Or rather, Sam gave himself to the asshole to save us," Dean answered, his gaze moving to the two waiting nurses before returning to the doctor.

"Jesus…" the doctor said under his breath.

Dr. Heely stepped up to Sam once John had finished undressing him, leaving him only in his boxers. One nurse moved beside the doctor and the other stepped up to Sam's other side and placed a thermometer in his ear. The device beeped and the nurse looked at the results.

"102 doctor," she said and watched as the other nurse wrote the temp down.

John and his sons exchanged nervous glances at hearing how high Sam's temperature was, Daniel's eyes quickly dropping to the floor before moving back to his little brother. Dr. Heely pried first one then the other of Sam's eyelids open and shone his penlight into the sleeping boys eyes.

"Pupils are even but sluggish," he announced, the nurse recording his findings.

The doctor gently rolled Sam's head to the side and softly probed his skull, nodding slightly when his fingers stopped at the very back.

"He's got a nice goose egg back here. He may have a very slight concussion," the doctor noted. "We'll want to keep an eye on that due to his previous head injuries."

Dr. Heely tsked sadly when he spotted the red nip marks on Sam's neck and upper chest. The three Winchesters leaned in for a look, their anger turning to fury when they concluded how those marks had gotten there. Dr. Heely asked for some help and soon John and Dean had sat Sam up so the doctor could check for broken ribs under the bruises on his back. John rested Sam's head on his shoulder and smiled softly when he felt the warm whisper of Sam's breath on his neck. Once the doctor finished probing Sam's back, John and Dean carefully laid Sam back down. The doctor moved down Sam's body, noting several bruises along the way. He finally reached Sam's feet and carefully began to remove the bandages that covered his burns.

"Well, now I know why he has a fever," the doctor said as he examined the bottom of Sam's right foot.

"What's wrong doctor?" John asked with concern.

"His right foot is infected. I'm afraid we're going to need to take him for surgery to remove the damaged tissue and infection," the doctor replied.

"He'll be okay though won't he?" Daniel asked, his heart sinking at the look in the doctor's eyes.

"I'm going to do everything I can to save his foot, but it looks pretty bad. Him being up and running around on it hasn't helped at all," the doctor said,

Daniel dropped his head, his eyes wet with tears. He brought his head up slightly when he was nudged from his left.

"It's not your fault Danny. You did what you had to do," Dean said reassuringly.

"I should've left him here. He may lose his foot and it's my fault," Daniel said softly, his voice cracking.

"If you would have left him here, we'd all probably be dead and Wilcox would still be out there hunting Sam and he would be all alone," John started, barely acknowledging Dr. Heely's shocked look. "Sam would be on his own and it wouldn't be very long before Wilcox got him. You did the right thing Daniel."

"But Dad…his foot. What if he loses his foot?" Daniel cried softly.

"Better that than his life. Besides, I have all the confidence in the world that Dr. Heely will do everything he can to prevent that Danny," John said.

"It's my fault Dad…no matter what you say," Daniel said dejectedly.

"If there's any one of us to blame, it's me. I fell right into Wilcox's trap and pulled your brother and uncles right in with me. All I could think of was that I was finally going to end that son of a bitch. I let my anger blind me and broke a very simple rule. Always leave someone for back up. We would never have been caught if I had been in my right mind," John said, his eyes staring intently at his eldest.

"N-No one's fault…" Sam's hoarse, tired voice sounded, bringing everyone's attention to him once again. "W-Would've snuck away…if you'd've left m-me. C-can always get a new foot." Sam gazed sleepily at Daniel then his eyes fell shut once more.

Daniel grasped Sam's hand and let his tears spill from his eyes. Leave it to his precious Sam to minimize the seriousness of the situation to make him feel better. He leaned over and softly kissed Sam's hot forehead then stood and smiled softly at his father. John nodded then turned his attention to the doctor.

"So…when will you do the surgery?" he asked.

"As soon as possible. First, there's one more thing I need to ask," the doctor replied.

"What's that doc?" Dean queried.

"Do you know if I'll need to do a rape exam on Sam?" the doctor asked quietly.

"He uh…he said the creep tried to…um…you know, but that he stopped him. He may have been trying to keep us calm. I just don't know for sure," John stammered, his mouth suddenly dry.

"When he got back to us, his pants were undone. We just don't know for sure if he was trying to protect us…" Daniel offered softly.

"Well…I'll have a quick look when we get him to the OR. If there is any damage, I'll take care of it then and also, we have great counselors to talk to him if need be. I'm going to bring Dr. James Morris in for Sam's foot. If anyone can save it, Dr. Morris can," Dr. Heely said.

"Thanks doctor. How long will Sam be in surgery?" John queried.

"With prep time and waiting for Dr. Morris to get here, then recovery…I'd give us about four hours," the doctor answered.

"Okay…uh…we have some things to take care of. We'll be back in a few hours. You take care of my son Dr. Heely," John said.

"That's fine John and you know I'll take care of Sam. You remember where the OR waiting area is don't you?" the doctor asked, continuing when John nodded. "Dr. Morris and I will come see you there when we're done. And John? Sam's safe now, right?"

"Yes…he is, but please make sure he's not left alone. I just…Wilcox is dead but…I'd just feel better if he wasn't left alone," John answered.

"I'll make sure a nurse stays with him and that at least one security guard is posted in recovery," Dr. Heely said.

"Thanks doctor," John said in reply.

"You just go take care of what you need to and I'll take care of Sam," Dr. Heely said, giving John a knowing glance.

John nodded then looked down at his sleeping son. He leant over and whispered softly in Sam's ear before kissing his forehead and pulling away. Dean and Daniel both said their goodbyes then followed their father out the door. Dean glanced over his shoulder and stopped. John looked around when he noticed Dean was not following.

"Dean?" he asked.

"I can't leave him Dad. I'm going to stay here. I know Wilcox is dead and he can't hurt Sammy anymore, but I just can't leave him here alone," Dean said.

John nodded his understanding and smiled then he and Daniel proceeded through the swinging doors, leaving Dean to hurry back to his brother's side. Dr. Heely nodded and smiled when Dean reentered the room.

"You know," he started. "I'll bet I have some scrubs that'll fit you Dean. Would you like to sit with Sam during his surgery?"

"Thanks doc. That'd be great," Dean replied appreciatively as he softly stroked Sam's flushed cheek with his fingertips.

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John, Daniel and the three other hunters stood around the hole in the ground, the flames from Trenton Wilcox's body illuminating the night and the men's faces. The hunter's faces held looks of disgust as the body burned, but they also showed relief. As the body turned to ashes, the fact that Sam was finally safe began to really sink in and the heaviness that had been weighing on each man lifted. Of course, now they had to deal with Sam's health, but that was something they could handle. Sam was in the best hands possible, Dr. Heely taking Sam's care quite personally.

As the flames died out and all that was left was a pile of ashes, Bobby leaned over the hole and doused the smoking remains with holy water. The hole was filled in and the ground was then blessed and sprinkled with more holy water. The men covered the disturbed ground with leaves and underbrush then made their way back to the warehouse. They went through the building, removing any evidence that they had been there. Next they went to Wilcox's van. There was no way to remove all evidence of Sam so they decided to burn the evidence away.

They didn't want to burn the entire van as the smoke it would make would alert someone so they sprinkled only a small amount of lighter fluid inside and lit it. They had water from the warehouse on hand and once they were certain any trace of Sam was gone, they doused the flames. The men loaded into the Impala and left the warehouse and hopefully it's memories behind. They thought briefly about their vehicles that were left behind at the motel two towns over but decided it would be too risky to try and retrieve them just yet. Neither vehicle was registered under their given names so they were protected there.

John drove in the direction of Santa Cruz and Dominican Hospital, the need to be near his youngest boy to great to ignore. They arrived at the hospital a half an hour later and hurried to the OR waiting room, expecting to find Dean there. When they found the room empty, a wave of nervousness washed over the men. They each took a seat as they had no idea as to what else they could do. As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long. Not thirty minutes after arriving, Dr. Heely and another younger doctor stepped into the room. The men rose from their seats as the doctors approached.

"John, this is Dr. Morris," Dr. Heely said, John and the younger doctor shaking hands.

"Nice to meet you doctor. How's my son? Is Sammy okay? Is his foot…" John started.

"Mr. Winchester, the surgery went well," Dr. Morris stated. "I have every reason to believe that your son will recover quite nicely. He'll have a slight limp, but he should be just fine."

"Oh God…thank you doctor. Thank you so much," John said, his face brightened by a wide smile.

Dr. Morris smiled and shook John's hand again then turned and nodded toward the other men before leaving the room. John and the others turned their attention to Dr. Heely.

"Doc, how is Sam doing aside from his foot?" Daniel queried.

"He'll be fine. I did examine him and there was no evidence of sexual abuse," the doctor replied.

The men sagged with relief. John brushed a hand through his hair and looked at the doctor. "Can we see him?"

"He's in recovery right now. Dean is with him," the doctor said then smiled at the men's curious looks. "I allowed Dean to sit with Sam during his surgery and in recovery. I kind of had the feeling he needed to be near his brother."

"Thank you doc. So, how long will Sam be in recovery?" Daniel queried.

"About an hour. I'll have a nurse come get you when he's situated in a private room. Did…uh…did you get your things taken care of?" the doctor responded.

"We did. The garbage has been disposed of," John replied then took a seat.

Dr. Heely smiled. "Good," he said as he left the room.

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John, Daniel, Bobby, Caleb and Joshua quietly slipped into Sam's room. Dean looked up from where he kept vigil over his sleeping brother and smiled tiredly. His father and brother stepped up to him, John resting his hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean glanced at Sam, then back up to John.

"Did you take care of Wilcox?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"Yeah, he's no longer a problem," John answered before stepping up to the bed.

John stared down at his youngest and smiled warmly. Sam slept peacefully, helped along by the medication he was currently on. He looked so young and vulnerable yet he had proven just how strong he really was. He had taken Wilcox out when none of them could and he had done it injured and sick. He had drawn the man away from his family to keep them safe with no regard for his own safety and had come back to them. John turned his head slightly when he felt someone step up beside him and acknowledged Daniel as the young man gazed down at his brother.

Dean rose from his chair and moved to the other side of the bed. He reached out and brushed the unruly hair from Sam's eyes for what was probably the hundredth time. He watched as John trailed his fingers over Sam's cheek and smiled as Sam turned his head into the touch. Dean looked up to find that Bobby, Joshua and Caleb had stepped up to the end of the bed and were gazing intently at their young comrade.

Sam's head rolled slowly and he let out a soft moan as his eyes fluttered open. He gazed around with glassy eyes until he finally let them rest on John.

"Hey kiddo. How are ya feeling?" John asked softly.

Sam licked his lips and swallowed as he continued to gaze at his father. "Mmmmm…D'd?" he whispered.

"I'm here Sammy. We're all here," John said as he ran his fingers through Sam's hair.

"Wha…h'pn'd?" Sam slurred, his eyes appearing to move in and out of focus.

"Why don't we talk later kiddo. You sleep now," John instructed softly.

Sam gazed up, his hazel eyes glistening. "He's dead…right?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

John grasped Sam's hand and squeezed gently. "Yes Sammy. You took care of him. Now…go to sleep. We'll be here when you wake up."

Sam nodded and closed his eyes. John continued to hold his hand as he turned to his three friends.

"Why don't you three head to the house and get some sleep. I think we're gonna bunk here for now. We'll see about getting your rigs tomorrow," John said in a hushed voice.

The men nodded and with one last glance at Sam, they quietly left. John and his sons settled into chairs and began yet another long bedside vigil. They watched over Sam but soon the three succumbed to the exhaustion the past days had created. The four Winchesters slept, their dreams for once not disturbed by visions of monsters who wouldn't die and scenes of torture and fear. For the first time in a long time, the hunter's dreams were not marred at all. There would be nightmares to come, but not this night. Sam was safe at last, the threat destroyed by his bravery and determination.

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**One more to go folks! Reviews are love.**

**Cindy.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Okay, being the sap that I am, but knowing I'm not the only one, I'm going to give the tissue alert first and foremost. This chapter carries a double tissue alert. I'm still sniffling from proofreading and I've read the darned thing a million times! LOL Anyway, we are at the end of our journey. This be the final chapter. I hope you all enjoy.**

**Cindy.**

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**_Epilogue_**

**Three Weeks Later**

"Are you sure you want to do this Sam?" Dean queried, his eyes staring intently at his younger brother.

"Yeah… I need to Dean. I just…I hope they don't hate me. Do you think they will?" Sam replied, his voice soft and unsure.

"Naw Sammy. No one could hate you kiddo," Dean replied as he gave Sam's hair an affectionate ruffle.

"Trenton Wilcox did…and so did his father," Sam whispered, his eyes peeking out from under his long bangs.

Daniel sat forward and rested his arms on the seat back then he reached out and gently patted Sam's shoulder. Sam turned his head to meet his brother's gaze.

"Trenton and Michael Wilcox weren't human Sam. At least not in my book. They were monsters. Monsters seek to destroy everything that is good. There's nobody better than you squirt," Daniel said, smiling softly as a blush colored Sam's cheeks.

"Danny's right Sam. You can't measure anything by those two. The only way anyone could hate you is if they were jealous and even then, I just don't think it's possible," Dean remarked, making sure he had Sam's attention.

"Thanks guys…I think you may be a little biased though," Sam replied, an embarrassed grin spreading over his face.

"Maybe…but we're still right. Now…are you gonna do this kiddo?" Daniel queried.

"Yeah…I'm scared though. I-I'm not sure what to say to them. I don't know…maybe it'll hurt them to see me," Sam said softly, his eyes moving to the house they were parked in front of.

"Sam…I think it'll help them. Really…I think they'll be happy to see you. They called a few times to check on you. They were really worried about you," Dean said, nodding lightly when Sam turned unsure eyes his way.

"They were?" Sam asked sheepishly.

"Yes Sam…they wanted to visit you in the hospital but it was just too hard for them so soon after…well…you know," Daniel replied as he gently squeezed Sam's shoulder.

Sam lowered his eyes to his lap as he fiddled nervously with the hem of his ratty teeshirt. He felt his eyes well and he blinked several times to try and chase the tears away. The sudden touch of gentle fingers beneath his chin made him look up and turn toward his brothers. Dean tenderly held his chin and smiled when their eyes met.

"Sammy…you okay? We can do this tomorrow if you want," he asked with concern.

Sam reached up and wiped his fingers over his eyes as he shook his head. "No…I need to do it now or I don't think I ever will. Besides, we're leaving tomorrow," he said softly.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Daniel asked from the backseat.

"No…thanks Danny but I need to do this alone," Sam replied.

"Okay kiddo. We'll be right here waiting. Take your time," Daniel said.

Sam nodded then looked out his side window at the house again. Heaving a nervous sigh, he pushed the passenger door open and carefully exited the Impala. He turned and retrieved his crutches from the front seat and positioned himself before starting up the walk to the house. Dean and Daniel stared after him, their eyes filled with concern at the way he still moved as if he was in pain. They continued to watch as he hobbled up to the door.

Once Sam reached the door, he softly knocked and waited for it to be answered. He could feel his brother's gazes and smiled softly, knowing he had their support to lean on. He flinched slightly when the door opened and Elaine Chambers stood looking out at him with wide, surprised eyes. Eyes that reminded Sam so much of Alisa that he nearly burst into tears. He swallowed nervously as the woman's eyes continued to stare.

"Sam? Are you okay?" Elaine asked with concern once the initial shock of seeing the boy wore off.

"Mrs. Chambers…I…I'm…" Sam started, his voice cracking.

"Sam…it's Elaine, remember?" the woman said, a warm smile curling her lips.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I-I hope I'm not intruding or anything," Sam said softly.

"Not at all Sam. Why don't you come in," Elaine said graciously, smiling towards the Impala and it's two occupants who followed Sam's every movement with their eyes.

"Um…sure…thank you Mrs…uh…Elaine," Sam replied before carefully stepping over the threshold.

Elaine stepped aside to allow room for Sam's crutches and softly closed the door behind him. She led Sam to the livingroom and watched as he took a seat on the couch. She smiled down at him, her heart beating furiously in her chest.

"Sam…honey…what brings you here?" she asked softly.

Sam peered up at her with large, sad eyes. "I…I just wanted…needed to talk to you and Mr. Chambers. Um…is he home?" he answered.

"I'm sorry…Phillip is out of town with Alex. A little father, son bonding trip. He'll be back in a few days…" Elaine replied.

"Oh…uh…we're leaving tomorrow. Um, I guess I can just talk with you. If…uh…if that's okay," Sam said.

"Of course Sam. Can I get you anything to eat or drink? Poor dear…you look like you're wasting away."

"No…I'm fine. I'm not really hungry."

Elaine nodded then sat on the couch next to Sam. She reached out and gently grasped Sam's hand, squeezing softly to bring his attention to her. Once he faced her, she smiled warmly.

"So…you said you're leaving? Where are you going?" Elaine asked.

"Uh…my dad found a new job. We're heading up north to Washington. Near Spokane I think," Sam replied, his nerves steadying at Elaine Chambers' comforting touch.

"Oh…Washington's nice. How long will you be there?"

"Um…hopefully through my senior year. Dad thinks there will be plenty of work to keep him busy for awhile."

"That's good Sam. We're going to miss you though."

"I'll…I'll miss you too. Um…"

Elaine gently squeezed Sam's hand as she witnessed his hesitation. "Sam…it's okay. You don't need to be nervous sweetie. Now, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"I…um…I want…I need to say I'm sorry. I just need…" Sam stammered, his voice hushed.

"What are you sorry for Sam?" Elaine asked.

Sam's eyes filled with tears and he couldn't stop them from spilling down his cheeks. He dropped his head and watched as the tears fell to his lap, darkening his jeans as they soaked into the material. A soft hand cupped his cheek and gently brought him around to gaze into the concerned eyes of his dead girlfriend's mother.

"Sam…honey, are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm so sorry I…I couldn't save Alisa. It's m-my fault she died. I…I just needed to tell you how sorry I am," Sam cried, the soft trail of tears turning to rivers as he began to cry in earnest.

Elaine's eyes filled as she wrapped her arms around the sobbing boy and pulled him to her. She held him tight as tremors coursed through him, resting her cheek on his soft hair.

"Shhhh…it's okay Sam. It's all going to be okay…" she cooed as Sam continued to cry.

After several minutes, Sam's sobs tapered off and he wiped weakly at his cheeks and nose. He leaned in against Elaine as she rubbed his back and stroked his hair, the woman's touch causing an ache in his heart as he imagined his own mother comforting him this way. Finally, Sam pulled away and gazed at the woman.

"I'm sorry…I didn't want to cry. It's just so hard sometimes," he whispered.

"Sam…you have nothing to be sorry for. I know you tried to protect Alisa. What happened isn't your fault sweetie. You almost died yourself," Elaine replied, once more grasping Sam's hand.

"You don't understand. The man…Trenton Wilcox. He was after me. He followed me to the park. If it weren't for me, Alisa would still be alive," Sam said, his eyes dropping once more.

"Sam…look at me," Elaine instructed, continuing when hazel eyes met her sapphire ones. "I know about that man. Your father spoke with Phillip and I after…after he was taken care of. For whatever reason he wanted you, you are not to blame. The only one to blame is Trenton Wilcox."

"But…I knew I was being watched. I should have said no when Alisa said she wanted to take a walk."

"Sam…did you know for sure you we're being followed? Did you know who it was and what they wanted?"

"Well…uh…no, not really. But…"

"But nothing. When Alisa wanted something, it was hard to deny her. You did nothing wrong. You are not to blame. I miss my baby so much, but there's only one person I blame and that's Trenton Wilcox. You can't do this to yourself. Alisa wouldn't want you to blame yourself. She wouldn't blame you."

"I know…I know she doesn't. I…I just miss her so much…" Sam whispered, new tears filling his eyes.

"Of course you do, but you have to stop feeling so guilty Sam. I can see what it's doing to you. I don't know what that monster did to you, and I don't want to know, but it's over now. You have to move on Sam."

"I don't know if I can. I have nightmares that won't let me forget."

"You're never going to forget, but you can't let him destroy your health. You look so tired Sam. And so thin. Please…for me…for Alisa…your family…please forgive yourself so you can move on."

Sam stared at Elaine and slowly nodded. He smiled weakly and felt a bit of the weight lift from his shoulders. Elaine smiled back at him and reached up to cup his cheek.

"Alisa loved you so much Sam. You deserved that love and you deserve to be happy. You are a very special young man. I want you to leave here with the knowledge that you were loved by an angel and that she was loved by one back, because you are beautiful like an angel Sam. Please…let go of the guilt."

Sam pressed his cheek against Elaine's warm palm and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again.

"Thank you Elaine. I know she was an angel and I loved her with all my heart. I…uh…I better go. My brothers are waiting," Sam said softly.

Elaine stood and helped Sam up from the couch. She grasped his arm and stopped him when he began to hobble from the room. Sam turned curious eyes on her as she moved toward a small table that stood against the wall.

"I nearly forgot Sam. I have something for you," Elaine said as she pulled a long, slender box from the drawer in the table.

"What's this?" Sam asked as he took the box from the woman's outstretched hand.

"It's from Alisa. A late birthday gift," Elaine replied.

Sam's hands began to tremble as he looked up wide eyed at the woman. "What? But…" he stammered.

"She ordered it, but it was put on back order. It arrived two weeks ago. Open it."

Sam fumbled with the lid and finally pulled it free. He stared at the contents, a lump forming in his throat. The box contained a beautiful gold and silver watch and Sam could barely contain the new tears that formed in his eyes. He pulled the watch gingerly from it's velvet bed and turned it over, the inscription he read making him lose the battle against the tears. His lips moved slightly as he re-read the beautiful words.

_'To my Sam. My true love. Happy Birthday. I love you…Alisa'_

Sam was shaking so hard that Elaine reached out and took the watch from his fingers. She pulled his hand toward her and wrapped the watch around his wrist, securing the clasp and patting his hand. She smiled as he gazed at the watch, then she gently brushed the tears from his cheeks. Sam raised his eyes and smiled, a true smile, dimples and all.

"Thank you for this. Thank you so much," he said, his voice cracking.

"You're welcome Sam. Thank you for making our baby so happy. You take care of yourself and make sure to visit if you can," Elaine replied.

"I will…I promise," Sam said then turned and began to make his way to the foyer and front door.

Elaine stepped around Sam and opened the door, holding it open so he could pass through. Sam stopped once he was on the porch and turned. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Elaine and relaxed against her when he felt her arms tighten around his back. He pulled away and smiled up at her.

"Thank you…for everything," he said softly.

"You're welcome Sam. Remember what I told you."

Sam nodded then turned and started for the Impala, smiling as he saw his brothers watching him. Daniel opened his door and stepped from the car, then he opened Sam's door and helped him into the front seat. He shut the door behind him and turned and waved at Elaine before slipping back into the rear seat. He pulled his door shut and soon the black car pulled away from the curb. Elaine watched the car as it disappeared then stepped back into her house, brushing tears from her cheeks as she closed the door.

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Sam sat on the grass, his eyes moist as he gazed at the granite headstone before him. He could feel his family watching him and he was grateful for their presence. He was also grateful that they stood far enough away to give him the privacy he needed. He reached out and brushed his fingers over Alisa's name then he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I miss you so much Alisa. My beautiful angel. My sweet girl," he whispered.

Sam looked down to his hand and opened it, the heart necklace he had given to Alisa held reverently in his palm. He reached down with his other hand and began to dig into the earth at the base of the headstone. Once he had a small hole, he carefully placed the necklace into a small, velvet lined box then set the box into the hole. He covered the box with the dirt he had dug up and patted it down. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he gazed at the headstone.

"I have to leave now Alisa. We're moving away, but I promise I will come back again. Someday I will come back. I love you Alisa," he whispered.

Sam dropped his head to his chest and allowed the tears to flow freely. Finally, after several minutes he looked up and turned toward his family. John moved toward him and reached down to help him from where he sat on the grass. Dean and Daniel moved beside him, Daniel reaching down to retrieve his crutches. Once Sam was situated, the four Winchesters turned toward the exit to the cemetery and began to slowly walk away from Alisa's grave.

"Are you okay Sammy?" Dean asked, glancing at his baby brother with deep concern.

Sam turned to him and smiled softly. "Yeah…I'm fine Dean. I'm…I'm okay."

Dean grasped the back of Sam's neck and squeezed gently. "That's good kiddo. That's good."

The four hunters left the cemetery and loaded into the Impala. The black car sped away, leaving Santa Cruz and all of it's memories behind.

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**One Year Later**

Sam sat on his bed, his eyes moving from his newly acquired diploma and his valedictorian award to the paper he held in his slightly trembling hands. He set the paper on his knees and lovingly rubbed his fingers over the watch he wore on his wrist. The past year had been difficult as he had continued to be assaulted by horrific nightmares, but with the help and support of his family, the nightmares had slowly tapered off until he only suffered from them on occasion. John had kept his promise and Sam had been able to serve his complete Senior year in one highschool.

Sam's brothers had glued themselves to him and it took a great deal of effort on their part to allow him the freedom a seventeen year old needed. Although he had recently turned eighteen, the older men still had a difficult time letting Sam out of their sight. Sam really didn't mind as he didn't feel completely safe unless he was with his family. That's why, as he read the paper again, his heartbeat sped up and his hands began to sweat.

Sam had made his decision and knew it wouldn't be easy to tell his father and brothers. He knew they wouldn't take it well, but it was something he needed to do, no matter how afraid he was. Sam stood from his bed on shaky legs and walked toward the door, a very slight limp noticeable in his gait. He made his way to the kitchen where his family sat talking, preparing for an upcoming hunt. Sam entered the kitchen and gazed nervously at each member of his family, a knot forming in his stomach when John raised his eyes and smiled when he saw his youngest son.

"Um…Dad…Daniel, Dean. I…uh…I need to talk to you," Sam stammered, his nerves nearly getting the best of him.

"What is it Sam? Are you okay?" John asked with concern.

Dean and Daniel turned their attention onto their little brother and waited for his reply. Sam stepped up to the table and held the paper out to his father, his hand shaking as John reached for it.

"What is this?" John asked as his fingers closed around the paper.

"It's…it's an acceptance letter. It's from Stanford. I'm…I'm going to college Dad."

**THE END**

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**So???????? That's it. No more. I truly want to thank each and every person who stuck with me to read this story. I know at times it was extremely difficult. I thank you all for embracing Daniel. I feel he has been accepted with open arms by most of you and I so appreciate that. I have been asked numerous times if there will be more stories with Daniel. I haven't really thought about it and don't know what I would write. I do love Daniel and would love to write another story with him, but am at a loss right now. Suggestions? Anyway, thank you to all of the people who took the time to review. If you only reviewed once, or if you reviewed each chapter, it truly meant the world to me. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I enjoyed writing it and bringing it to you. **

**Next up, the story I am currently writing and posting on . The title is With One Kiss. I am close to finishing it, but I will start posting in a few days. I should be done soon with it so I will be able to post at least one chapter per day. **

**Once again, thank you so much for all of your support. And please, let me know what you thought of the final chapter.** **Love to you all.**

**Cindy. **


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